Inclusiveness

We dedicate ourselves to fostering a culture of inclusivity, belonging and wellness within our college, as well as in the research and service we lead in our communities. We recognize that supporting inclusivity begins with creating a welcoming environment within our college through intentional actions that demonstrate, in practice, our commitment to these values. Building an environment where faculty, staff and students feel supported and valued, and have opportunities to progress in their goals and careers, helps us recruit and retain the best and brightest individuals. We lead by example and teach best practices for integrating inclusion and equity in all educational settings.

Strategic Priority 3.1: Create internal structures to support inclusion, diversity, equity and belonging. (Wolfpack 2030: Goal 4)

Key initiatives:

• Create permanent structures and/or leadership positions within the College of Education focused on inclusion, diversity, equity and belonging.
• Leverage existing and implement additional engagement surveys of faculty, staff and students to receive regular feedback on college culture and practices.
• Develop intentional recruitment and retention practices to increase overall representative and diversity of faculty, staff and students in ways that honor the broad diversity of North Carolina.
• Better integrate professional faculty and staff career pathways throughout the college and increase utilization of professional development opportunities.

Strategic Priority 3.2: Create internal structures to support inclusion, diversity, equity and belonging. (Wolfpack 2030: Goal 4)

Key initiatives:

• Evaluate and streamline existing programming to prioritize alignment with the needs of faculty, staff and student retention and increase participation and the lifting of diverse voices throughout the College of Education community.
• Identify and implement new solutions to offer targeted, meaningful and timely support to student needs, as well as to faculty and staff.

Strategic Priority 3.3: Lead the integration of research-based best practices related to inclusion, diversity, equity and belonging in education. (Wolfpack 2030: Goals 1, 3, 4)

Key initiatives:

• Develop interdisciplinary non-degree programs (e.g., certificates) focused on inclusion, diversity, equity and belonging research in education.
• Design and conduct professional development opportunities focused on integrating research-based best practices related to educational equity.
• Develop resources to support the evaluation of curricula and integrate inclusion and belonging into coursework, attending to the needs of diverse students and better preparing our graduates to work with increasingly diverse populations.