Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We are a committee of faculty, students, and staff committed to celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion in Liberal Studies and at NYU and creating a learning environment that engages all members of our community across multiple identities, experiences, and viewpoints.

A message from NYU Liberal Studies; the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee; and a coalition of staff of color:

Unequivocally, Black Lives Matter. Recognizing the role that institutions have to play in ending the structural racism that has plagued this country since its origins, we at Liberal Studies express solidarity with those who seek justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Nina Pop, and far too many other Black people, many who have gone unnamed, who have died at the hands of state violence, white supremacy, and complacency.

Each and every one of us is responsible for dismantling the power structures that oppress BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) around the world. As we in the Liberal Studies community take stock of our own practices to contribute to a more just and equitable world, we heed the experiences, teachings, and wisdom of the Black community.

We dare ourselves to move past comfort and have the courage to convert self-reflection into action, much in the way the plants of Ross Gay’s poem “A Small Needful Fact” convert sunlight into food. We do this so we might make it easier for all of us to breathe.

“A Small Needful Fact”
by Ross Gay

Is that Eric Garner worked
for some time for the Parks and Rec.
Horticultural Department, which means,
perhaps, that with his very large hands,
perhaps, in all likelihood,
he put gently into the earth
some plants which, most likely,
some of them, in all likelihood,
continue to grow, continue
to do what such plants do, like house
and feed small and necessary creatures,
like being pleasant to touch and smell,
like converting sunlight
into food, like making it easier
for us to breathe.

Liberal Studies sees diversity, equity and inclusion and belonging as essential to education and the development of leadership in a globally interconnected world. These values inform LS as a collegial and respectful environment for students, faculty and staff—with particular attention to improving the student experience.

Some examples of Liberal Studies DEI-related events and initiatives include:

• DEI Events and Programming

  • What Makes a Global Classroom?
    
  • LS Black History Month
    
  • LS Stonewall50
    
  • LS NYUWomxn100
    

• Development of DEI-related student orientation programs

  • NYU Reads

• DEI-themed listening sessions

• Collaboration with DEI-themed organizations at NYUOrganized visits to DEI-themed venues and events in New York City

• Faculty and staff trainings on DEI topics and resources

  • Center for Multicultural Education and Programs (CMEP) Zone and Other Trainings
    
  • Ghosts in the Machine: Equity, Bias, and Technology Workshop
    
  • Office of Global Inclusion Inclusive Teaching Seminar
    
  • ThriveNYC Mental Health First Aid Training
    
  • Inclusive Pedagogy: LGBTQ-Inclusive Approaches to Teaching Gender Normative Texts
    
  • Integrating the Global South in the Liberal Studies Curriculum Symposium
    

• Cultural adjustment sessions for students who will be studying at NYU Global Sites

• Development of a statement in support of DEI values recommended for course syllabi

• A peer mentorship program for incoming first-generation and international students

• Social impact programs to provide applied learning opportunities about DEI and social justice issues, including:

  • LS Service Ambassador program in partnership with health, education and environmental community organizations
    
  • Grants for students volunteering locally in NYC

Institutional change and transformation is only possible when there is a commitment to inclusion, diversity, belonging, and equity at every level, in every school and in every department, across NYU’s campuses and global academic centers. The Office of Global Inclusion, Diversity, and Strategic Innovation (OGI) along with NYU leadership has hired or appointed inclusion officers—leaders in their respective fields who are charged with building related capacity. Paul Brown, Assistant Director of Advising & Diversity, serves as the Liberal Studies Global Inclusion Officer.

LS Student Council Subcommittee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The LS Student Council Subcommittee for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a student committee of the Liberal Studies Student Council responsible for collecting students' voices and representing them to the Council executive board, the LS-wide DEI committee, and the Dean, as well as advocating for the Liberal Studies student body regarding issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. For more information, you can send an email to LSSC.DEI.StudentAdvisoryBoard@nyu.edu. You can also contact Allison Michaud, Director of Global Programs, or Jonathon White, Associate Dean of Students.The website can be found online.

Real Talk Roundtables

Real Talk Roundtables is a student-led conversation space for the LS community to explore issues related to race, ethnicity, and intersecting identities as they shape our experiences at NYU and beyond. For more information contact Paul Brown, Assistant Director of Advising & Diversity.

Groups and Clubs

Join one of the many LS student groups and organizations that promote the diversity of the community through their activities.

Find Resources and Opportunities

NYU offers many services to help students navigate issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University. Find current events, support organizations, facts and figures, and resources on the Global Inclusion and Diversity website, including Academic Resources.

Report a Problem to the Bias Response Hotline

Have you experienced or witnessed bias, discrimination, harrassment, intolerance, exclusion, aggression, or microaggression against members of the University community? Share or report the incident through the NYU Bias Hotline: 212-998-2277, bias.response@nyu.edu, or online.

NYU offers many events, support organizations, facts and figures, services and resources to help faculty and staff members navigate issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at the University. Faculty resources include the Faculty Toolkit on Digital Inclusion, as well as information on Inclusive Curriculum Design and Assessment Practices, Inclusive Remote Classroom Practices and Trans Inclusive Practices in the Classroom. Staff resources include In-Person Sessions, Customized Facilitation, Toolkits and Executive Education.

NYU BeTogether

The Office of Global Inclusion, and its partners, are launching NYU BeTogether - a new initiative that will build upon the lessons learned from initiatives such as Being@NYU to strengthen our community.

Being@NYU

Results of the university-wide Being@NYU assessment provide information on the campus climate and issues of inclusion and diversity at NYU.

Anti-Racism Education, Programs, and Resources

OGI has listed selected programs, education, and resources focused on anti-racism that are available to the NYU community. Anti-racism work requires individuals to take responsibility for their own learning and avoid placing the responsibility for that education on already marginalized and disenfranchised groups, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).