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In spring 2016, a section of English 413 focused on "Race, Rhetoric, and Culture in Professional Spaces." Working alongside the instructor, Professor Jessica Edwards, as well as other faculty, student-writers in the class wrote the following inclusivity statement:
The English Department strives to create a variety of opportunities to allow students to speak and write thoughtfully, knowledgeably, and responsibly about the world. In times of national, regional, or even local uncertainty, the English Department affirms the value of people from different perspectives, and backgrounds. Many of our courses include the study of race, gender, sexuality, and religious and cultural affiliations, and all of our courses provide students with opportunities to expand their knowledge and to prepare to thrive in a multicultural and multiracial world. To sustain our community in a meaningful way, we need to make our principles a part of our daily practice, and fundamental to our principles is our commitment to valuing, respecting, and engaging difference.
Beyond the classroom, students have opportunities to listen to and interact with expert speakers who are representative of our diverse world. The events and community forums we sponsor, combined with University-wide events, create an environment that allows students to recognize the value of our differences, the histories that are too often misrepresented or suppressed, and the means by which we can identify and address our biases and work, collectively, towards a more just community. Through the classes we teach and the public forums we sponsor, we strive to make all students feel supported and to give them the ability to succeed academically and socially at the University and in their future professions.
Rachel Curry, Emily Rodriguez, Eric Corcoran, Olivia Duke, Leigh Ann Lennon, Jessica Dunn, Irene Koutsidis, Season Cooper, Kayla Baptiste were among the student-writers who contributed to this statement.
To learn more about communities on campus that promote inclusivity and diversity at the University of Delaware, please consult these Inclusive​ Excellence resources.
