Our Progress

GSE is committed to affirming the various identities and communities important to our students, staff and faculty. We value and view racial identity and experiences as central to all of us, embrace the full range of gender and sexualities, honor the various faiths and world views, appreciate the unique experiences and challenges faced by those born outside the U.S., and understand the impact of growing up with fewer resources and opportunities due to social class than are needed to thrive. GSE also attests to the challenges faced by first-generation students, staff and faculty who forged their way into higher education. We also understand that growing up in urban areas, rural communities, or the suburbs impacts how we interact with the world. Our community is vast and diverse, and we are committed to honoring diversity and creating an inclusive and equitable environment where everyone feels they belong.

Concomitantly, we also acknowledge that the world has dramatically changed since 2020. The most recent racial reckoning has taught us that even our focus on diversity and belonging was not enough. Without a clear and authentic focus on racial inequity, systemic racism and anti-Blackness, our EDJI efforts will fall short. This commitment must also center on other systems of oppression (e.g., sexism, heterosexism, ableism, classism, cis-genderism, religious oppression) and intersectionality. We will work to continually expand and deepen our understanding of EDJI and the work necessary to transform GSE and advance equity and justice in schools and society. We aim to create equitable educational systems, ensure libraries are liberatory spaces, build inclusive and just systems for data and information science, and center equity in mental health services.   

Our EDJI work requires vigilance and ongoing engagement. Our efforts are not perfect but are designed to move us forward, create a learning community where all students, faculty and staff can thrive and make a more-perfect GSE. Our approach in developing this report was not simply to create a simple list of our accomplishments but instead to record our efforts, identify strengths and clarify the path ahead.

Although begun in 2018, in 2020 GSE approved and adopted a five-year Comprehensive Plan for Equity, Diversity, Justice and Inclusion. The Comprehensive Plan identified six primary goals.

1. Ensure that the GSE commitment to equity, diversity, justice and inclusion is visible and embedded at all levels of GSE
2. Identify, recruit, attract, hire, mentor/coach and retain a highly talented and diverse and culturally competent faculty and staff
3. Attract, enroll, retain, mentor and graduate a highly talented and diverse student body
4. Expect and require all members of the community to engage in curricular, co-curricular and research activities that improve diversity, equity and multicultural competence within GSE and through our community engagements
5. Build and maintain a welcoming, inclusive and equitable climate for all GSE faculty, students, staff and administrators
6. Increase alumni engagement to improve diversity, equity, inclusion and multicultural competence within the GSE community

To learn more about the Graduate School of Education’s vision for equity, diversity, justice and inclusion, explore our 2025 Comprehensive Plan, which outlines what needs to be done and how we will do it.