Equity and Diversity Statement
The Department of Writing Studies at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities recognizes that equity, diversity, and inclusion must be addressed on individual and group levels. We accept the Office for Equity and Diversity’s (OED) definitions of bias and prejudice as “preconceived judgment or opinion; an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just ground or before sufficient knowledge.”
The department is also aware that relations of privilege and oppression are institutionalized on a systemic level but strives to address the principle of social justice for all. The department recognizes that society is often unjust but that the department (and its individual members) can play important roles in mitigating these injustices and become a space that better embodies equity, diversity, and inclusion. Thus, the department encourages equity, diversity, and inclusion in representation as well as the development of personal awareness, and the department actively seeks to engage in creating socially just learning and workplace environments and opportunities.