Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Improving Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
at the UD College of Earth, Ocean & Environment
Faculty, staff and leadership of the College of Earth, Ocean and Environment (CEOE) strive to take meaningful action within the college and in the larger scientific and academic community. CEOE seeks to uphold the guiding principles as embodied in the University of Delaware Diversity Statement:
The University of Delaware’s educational mission is to prepare students to live in an increasingly interconnected and diverse world. We are committed to fostering a robust educational environment that supports critical thinking, free inquiry, and an understanding of diverse views and values. We see diversity as a core value and guiding principle for our educational mission and thus must work to make diversity an integral part of everyday life on campus.
We take diversity to mean both the recognition and the appreciation of the different backgrounds, values, and ideas of those who comprise our campus, and to ensuring that all people on our campus are treated according to principles of fairness, civility, dignity, and equity.
We are committed to building an educational community that embraces people from different backgrounds and economic circumstances, with different needs, and from diverse personal and philosophical beliefs. We want to make all people who are part of the University feel welcome and valued in campus life.
As prepared by the Diversity and Equity Commission and The President’s Diversity Initiative
Effective research, instruction, learning, advising, and professional career growth in CEOE requires open communication, ethical professional conduct between all individuals, collegial interactions, proactive mentoring, and a responsive administration. All aspects of higher education and research indeed thrive when diverse experiences and viewpoints can be freely shared and affirmed.
To that end, the faculty, students, and staff of CEOE are dedicated to creating a positive, inclusive work environment that embraces diversity and equity and rejects any form of racism, hostile work environments, discrimination, micro-aggression, bullying, or harassment.
The CEOE community commits to take the actions listed below in the following three categories:
- Provide implicit bias and bystander intervention training and an annual refresher for all faculty, research staff, staff members, and graduate students of CEOE. Undergraduates are currently required to have this training.
- Offer sessions for wellness and recovery for our Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ communities.
- Select a theme for each semester and identify speakers to address specific issues with the intention of educating our community. Examples for themes in this format would be:
o Microaggression
o History of Race at the University of Delaware and in America
o Understanding Racial Identity
o Gender and/or generational differences
o LGBTQIA+ issues
o Work Culture
- Support a DEI Climate and Engagement Analysis conducted by the University’s Office of Equity and Inclusion. This analysis will assess the physical and social climate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in CEOE and provide recommendations for an enhanced commitment to DEI through policy and practice.
- Incorporate into existing seminar series 1) speakers from underrepresented groups, and 2) in addition to traditional research topic-focus, invite speakers that address issues related to diversity, inclusion, transparency in decision making, P&T policies and equitable workloads.
- Commit to increasing the number of underrepresented faculty in the college by charging faculty and staff search committees with instruction and support provided by UD ADVANCE to ensure diversification of candidate pools with underrepresented applicants.
- Expand the practice of recruiting underrepresented students in the REU program for graduate school, to other summer programs in our College and in faculty research and training programs.
- Develop and deepen partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic Serving Institutions to improve recruitment of underrepresented graduate students and faculty.
- Work with faculty to create inclusive syllabi recognizing historical marginalization in their disciplines and do syllabus review as part of annual reviews.
- Create workload transparency for faculty and staff.
- Develop Codes of Conduct that promote a positive work environment that is characterized by collective civility and respect for each individual and is free from any form of discrimination, micro-aggression, bullying, harassment, sexual misconduct, and violence. This has been developed in the Earth Sciences and will be examined for broader involvement in the College.
- Provide training for all faculty and staff following the development of the code of conduct. The code shows that there is a commitment to stop inappropriate behaviors and that there are consequences for conduct violations. This is needed to build trust that CEOE will protect faculty staff and students from unwanted bad conduct.
- Lead the University in developing a UNIDEL Foundation Post-doc program for underrepresented PhDs that would serve as a faculty training program and pipeline for recruitment of underrepresented academics for faculty positions.
- For the next decade, create a program that sets aside existing College/Unit funds for recruitment, retention programs, and fully funded fellowships of/for underrepresented students. Promote and track the success of the program. As an example, the college could expand its Historically Underrepresented Graduate Students (HUGS) Fellowship in collaboration with alumni and others to increase available funds.
DIVERSITY ON CAMPUS
The University of Delaware’s educational mission is to prepare students to live in an increasingly interconnected and diverse world. To do so, we are committed to fostering a robust educational environment that supports critical thinking, free inquiry, and an understanding of diverse views and values. We see diversity as a core value and guiding principle for our educational mission and thus must work to make diversity an integral part of everyday life on campus.
Workplace Climate & Reporting
The faculty, students, and staff of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment are dedicated to creating a positive, inclusive work environment that embraces diversity in all forms and rejects any form of hostile work place, discrimination, or bullying.
Resources are available to help resolve conflicts within our College and the University. Specific University contacts exist for various offenses and are identified below. The following information is meant to both provide context for your complaint (i.e. where does your situation fit in today’s terminology) and key university resources or contacts if they exist for that specific situation.
Code of Conduct
CEOE has a code of conduct that outlines principles and best practices for Professional behavior to be used by current faculty, students and staff of CEOE. This web page is set up to inform you of your options if you have encountered issues that create a negative work environment.
Workplace Issues
Some workplace issues that arise between students, staff, research scientists, and faculty in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment should be reported to help improve CEOE, yet others must be reported to the Office of Inclusion and Equity at UD. Descriptions of these situations and resources within the University system are given for each type of issue.
Harassment is a type of discrimination that consists of a single intense and severe act, or of multiple persistent or pervasive acts, which are unwanted, unwelcome, demeaning, abusive, or offensive and based upon the victim’s inclusion in a protected category such race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, citizenship, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
People who believe they have been subject to harassment, as defined above, should report this to any University official, administrator or supervisor. Students are encouraged to contact the Office of the Dean of Students, and employees should cotact the Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI). Every supervisor, administrator and University official is responsible for promptly reporting incidents that come to their attention to either the Office of the Dean of Students or OEI.
Sexual Misconduct and Harassment is unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that can occur when:
- the submission to unwelcome physical conduct of a sexual nature, or to unwelcome requests for sexual favors or other verbal conduct of a sexual nature, is made as an implicit or explicit term or condition of employment or education;
- the submission to or rejection of unwelcome physical conduct of a sexual nature, or unwelcome requests for sexual favors or other verbal conduct of a sexual nature, is used as a basis for academic or employment decisions or evaluations;
- unwelcome physical acts of a sexual nature, or unwelcome requests for sexual favors or other verbal conduct of a sexual nature, that have the effect of creating an objectively hostile environment that substantially interferes with employment or education on the basis of sex; or
- such conduct is intentionally directed towards a specific individual and has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with that individual’s education, employment, or participation in University activities, or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive atmosphere.
Sexual harassment may include:
- Sexual assault, as defined under the Delaware Code sections 767 to 769: Unlawful Sexual Contact; It includes rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, and sexual coercion.
- Physical conduct that, depending on the totality of the circumstances present, may include unwelcome intentional touching or deliberate physical interference with or restriction of movement.
- Verbal conduct, including oral, written, or symbolic expression.
All sexual harassment complaints should be reported directly to
Office of Equity and Inclusion
305 Hullihen Hall, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716
Phone: 302-831-8063
and/or
Title IX Coordinator, Danica Myers
302- 831 -7361
titleixcoordinator@udel.edu
Individuals may also report incidents of sex discrimination, sexual harassment (including sexual violence) or sexual misconduct online or to a Responsible Employees who is then required to promptly notify the Office of Equity and Inclusion.
Responsible Employees include administrators, academic advisors, faculty, teaching assistants, graduate research assistants and all supervisory staff.
What should be reported
All relevant information should be reported, including the names of the individuals involved, any witnesses, and any other relevant information, including the date, time, and specific location of the alleged incident. A report must be made as soon as possible after an individual discloses the incident.
Information and the University of Delaware’s Policy on sexual misconduct can be found here.
Discrimination is conduct directed at a specific individual or group of identifiable individuals that subjects the individual or group to treatment that adversely affects their employment or education because of their race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, citizenship, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
People who believe they have been subject to discrimination as defined above should report this to:
Office of Equity and Inclusion
305 Hullihen Hall, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716
Phone: 302-831-8063
Individuals may also report incidents of discrimination to any University official, administrator of supervisor. Students are encouraged to contact the Office of the Dean of Students, and employees to the Office of Equity and Inclusion. Every supervisor, administrator and University official is required to promptly reporting incidents that come to their attention to Office of Equity and Inclusion
The University of Delaware policy on discrimination can be found here.
A hostile environment occurs when a co-worker or supervisor discriminates against or harasses a person because of their inclusion in a protected class such as a person’s race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, citizenship, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
This harassment is pervasive, lasting over time, and the behavior is severe enough that the hostility has disrupted the employee’s ability to do their job.
Note that a coworker who is disrespectful, demonstrating inappropriate, rude, and/or obnoxious behavior, is in breach of the CEOE code of conduct and may be reported to a supervisor. But the behavior, actions or communication must be discriminatory in nature for it to create a hostile work environment. In such a case, it needs to be reported to
Office of Equity and Inclusion
305 Hullihen Hall, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716
Phone: 302-831-8063
For interpersonal violence there are several University resources and options available.
UD Police Department
911 - All emergencies - on or off campus
(302) 831-2222 - Non-emergency police and general information
police@udel.edu
Cases of interpersonal violence must also be reported to:
Office of Equity and Inclusion
305 Hullihen Hall, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716
Phone: 302-831-8063
Key Contacts
Harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and interpersonal violence should be reported directly to the Office of Equity and Inclusion. Note that if you report such event to a UD employee, they are obligated to report it directly to the Office of Equity and Inclusion. It is optional but not required that a supervisor be notified by the complainant.
For concerns other than harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and interpersonal violence, the first step is usually internal to your Department Chair or School Director, or to CEOE personnel. Below are the general contacts for each type of individual, followed by specific ones. In all cases, complaints can be made internally to the appropriate CEOE contact or to a University contact.
Please note: if you are worried about any kind of behavior towards you or anyone else, you may contact the UD Office of Equity and Inclusion, or your Department Chair or School Director, or the CEOE Deputy Dean.
John Madsen
Interim Chair of the Department of Geological Sciences
ISE Lab 372
221 Academy Street
1-302-831-1608
jmadsen@udel.edu
Saleem Ali
Chair of the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences
216C and 207 Pearson Hall
1-302-831-2294
saleem@udel.edu
Mark Moline
Director of the School of Marine Science and Policy
204A Cannon Lab
1-302-645-4263
mmoline@udel.edu
Katharina Billups
CEOE Deputy Dean
206 Cannon Lab
1-302-645-4249
kbillups@udel.edu
Madelyn Mickle
HR Manager
1-302-831-8043
mmickle@udel.edu
Keeley Powell
Senior Assistant Dean for Student Services
1-302-831-2841
kpowell@udel.edu
Office of Equity and Inclusion
305 Hullihen Hall
302-831-8063
Dean of Students
Offices of the Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Life
Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
101 Hullihen Hall, call 302-831-8939
deanofstudents@udel.edu
SAFE UD and its LiveSafe app
