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.