Inclusive Excellence Through Access and Engagement

CAS Access and Inclusive Excellence Committee

GUIDING STATEMENT

The College of Arts and Sciences of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga champions a modern liberal arts and sciences education as an approach to learning that aims to free the human mind, stamp out ignorance, and cultivate meaningful dialogue through well-rounded instruction that includes varied perspectives, experiences, and contributions. 

Our College serves an increasingly globalized metropolitan area, region, and world, which we aim to authentically reflect as an academic community. We recognize that diverse and inclusive communities serve as rich learning environments that cultivate growth in both intellectual knowledge, science, and philosophical perspectives. We aspire to create and sustain a vibrant community that includes and values lived experiences, ideas, passions, and talents, toward enriching the academic experience for all. Toward these goals, the College of Arts and Sciences prioritizes the following actions at the department and College levels:

• Promote and support our existing programs in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Africana Studies, Asian Studies, and Latin American Studies, and support the development of new additional programs that focus on access, engagement, and inclusive excellence.
• Encourage the development and delivery of existing and new courses that include a focus on access, engagement, inclusion, equity, and justice.
• Provide pedagogical training and professional development opportunities on best practices to help instructors integrate the discussion of varied perspectives in the classroom in all academic disciplines, and formally recognize such efforts by our instructors.
• Facilitate the coordination and delivery of interdisciplinary programming that features speakers from historically underrepresented groups to foster communication and learning across departments.
• Prioritize equitable practices in faculty and administrative recruitment.
• Support initiatives to recruit and retain students and faculty, including those from underrepresented groups, and support their success through formal mentorship and professional development opportunities.
• Promote equitable practices in student evaluations of faculty instruction and adopt more comprehensive faculty evaluation practices that utilize a broader variety of tools and/or metrics.
• Acknowledge and address the invisible service burden that often befalls some faculty within the institution.
• Host periodic panel discussions to encourage members of our community to share their experiences in ways from which we can all learn and recognize ways to improve.
• Increase budget transparency and prioritization of initiatives to support access, engagement, and inclusive excellence.

Our College’s commitment to inclusive excellence calls for access and engagement, regardless of race or ethnicity, indigenous heritage, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religious or political affiliation, socioeconomic status, age, or (dis)ability. We want every member of our academic community and everyone with whom we interact in our increasingly global society to feel seen, heard, accepted, respected, appreciated, and supported.