Strategic Priorities
Many of these initiatives came out of discussions at the #ShutDownSTEM meeting on June 10, 2020
Strategic Priorities for FY21
Presented at a department-wide Equity and Inclusion Committee meeting on July 10, 2020
1. Engage and Connect Black Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Point person – Benita Wolff
- Enhance understanding about the needs and concerns of Black students
- Implement strategies and/or programs to address concerns
- Build community and create spaces to support Black students
2. Assess and Enhance Undergraduate & Graduate Programs
Undergraduate Programs
Point persons - Howard Georgi and David Morin
- Preparatory education, course sequencing [Emerging Scholars (Math), Interphase (MIT)]
- Workshops
Graduate Programs
Point persons - Mara Prentiss and Jacob Barandes
- Preparatory education, workshops, and course sequencing (e.g., BRIDGE)
- Recruiting & Admissions (at national meetings, elimination of GRE)
- Financial Resources & Support
3. Mentoring & Faculty Engagement
- Needs of undergraduate students
- Needs of graduate students
- Needs of research scholars
- Faculty advising of first year students
- Input from wide range of individuals: faculty, students, etc.
4. Culture, Climate, and Professional Development
Point persons- Lene Hau, John Huth & the EIC
- Implement incentives for anti-racism efforts
- Practice allyship by hosting faculty reading group suggested authors including Ijeoma Oluo, Ibram X. Kendi, Angela Davis, and others
- Address the origins and naming of the Physics building
- Host bystander training
- Partner with colloquia chairs on programming – for a variety of topics including anti-prejudice training, careers in Physics, neuroscience research addressing bias relaying to URM/gender etc.
- Sustain this conversation and serve as a forum for advancing concerns
5. Communication
Point person - Anne Trubia
EIC Website Refresh
- Anonymous Feedback portal - "Feedback Forum" on EIC Website
- EIC meetings open to the entire community (see website for details)
- List of campus resources for all members of the Department
Faculty and Departmental Websites
- Improving information about areas of research, employment (including research) opportunities
- Email Us: equity@physics.harvard.edu
- Tim Kaxiras and Anne Trubia will be hosting biweekly office hours beginning August 17, 2020 on Mondays from 3-4:00PM
- Contact Jolanta Davis at jmdavis@fas.harvard.edu if you do not have the Zoom link or would like to schedule a one-on-one meeting with Anne or Tim.