Diversity at DMCS

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at DMCS

“We are in the midst of a great struggle, the public mind is widely and deeply agitated; and bubbling up from its perturbed waters whose poisonous miasma demands a constant antidote”    –Frederick Douglass¹

The Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers University (DMCS) stands in solidarity with Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and the LBGTQ+ community. Recent social movements have illuminated our internal shortcomings in addressing and overcoming the systemic racism that plagues our society. Our department and the field of Marine Sciences suffer from a lack of diversity that does not reflect our surrounding community, nor our nation. We must act now to promote inclusion rather than being complicit by way of inaction. We will strive to create an inclusive environment free from discrimination and harassment, so that all members of our community feel welcomed and able to thrive. We recognize that this mission requires a long-term sustained commitment, and that we ourselves must change for it to be successful. We look forward to both small and large steps towards this brighter future.

We aim to make DMCS a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace, as defined by the Rutgers University department of Diversity, Inclusivity, and Community Engagement:

• Diversity refers to the variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. Such differences include race, ethnicity, gender and gender identity, age, religion, language, disability status, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, geographic region, and more.

• Equity refers to actively working to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented full participation across differences in culture and circumstance, specifically redressing the exclusion of historically underrepresented groups in higher education. Attention to equity involves ensuring access, opportunity, and advancement for all students, faculty, and staff in every stage of education and career development.

• Inclusion refers to the act of creating environments in which individuals and groups feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued by eliminating practices and behaviors that marginalize. An inclusive climate embraces differences and offers respect in words and actions so that all people can fully participate in the University’s opportunities.

Refer to the menu on the left for current DEI initiatives, programs, contact information, and department resources for faculty, staff, and students.

1. Blight, David W. 2018. Frederick Douglass Prophet of Freedom. Simon and Schuster paperbacks. NY. NY. 10020. 883 p.