Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences aspires to be a diverse community that welcomes, includes, and respects people from all walks of life. We recognize diversity as not just an ideal but a practice, one that requires all members of the division to be purposeful in bringing together people with a variety of identities, experiences, and perspectives. In HSS, diversity means welcoming non-white members (Black, Latin(x)/Hispanic, Asian, Indigenous, and immigrant), women, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, first-generation scholars, and people from a variety of socioeconomic positions. In a country with a long history of racial injustice and discrimination, practicing diversity also involves a conscious recognition of the enduring impact of the past and the ways that past inflects our present working environment.
The practice of diversity encompasses how and what we teach. We are committed to pedagogy that engages, motivates, and supports students from all backgrounds and reflects the full range of methods and materials in our fields of study.
Inclusion is more than just an openness to diversity. It requires that we all commit to replacing a passive mode of openness with an active pursuit of difference. Inclusion means creating an environment where members of a diverse community can engage in challenging dialogue with one another and are supported in their efforts to do so. It also means creating and sustaining conditions that allow everyone, including the most marginalized, to do their best work possible.
HSS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
Jennifer Jahner (Humanities, co-chair)
Antonio Rangel (Social Sciences, co-chair)
Jeffrey Cockburn (postdoc representative - Social Sciences)
Susanne Hall (Humanities and Hixon Writing Center)
Catherine Jurca (Humanities)
Charles Kollmer (postdoc representative - Humanities)
Cecilia Lu (staff representative)
Aldo Lucia (graduate student representative)
Vincent Man (postdoc representative - Social Sciences)
Dean Mobbs (Social Sciences)
Contact Us
Have a question or comment for the committee? Please reach out to any of our committee members by email. To reach the chairs directly with concerns or questions, email HSS_DEI@caltech.edu.
Reporting
To report a concern regarding equity, harassment, misconduct, or discrimination with the Title IX office, please use this form.
HSS Activities
- The HSS Classroom Collaborative sessions are designed to help our instructors share ideas, research, and successful classroom practices in an informal environment. The first iteration centered on grading in the wake of the pandemic with an eye towards changing practices for the future. Past events in this series can be found here.
- The HSS Division Chair's Visitors Program enables HSS graduate students, postdocs, and faculty to invite scholars to Caltech who belong to groups historically excluded from our primary disciplines. The program aims to foster collaboration and new research and mentorship opportunities, both for scholars outside of Caltech and scholars within Caltech. For further information, please email Jennifer Jahner and Antonio Rangel.
- The Chen Institute Women in Neuroscience aims to support the careers and education of women in neuroscience through invited talks, networking and career development opportunities, recruitment efforts, and advocacy for an improved campus climate.
- Caltech Accessibility Service for Students (CASS)
- Caltech Center for Inclusion and Diversity (CCID)
- Caltech CCID Conversation Guidelines
- Caltech Disability and Reasonable Accommodation Policy
- Caltech Hixon Writing Center Resources (Includes links for using inclusive and bias-free language)
- Caltech International Offices
- Caltech Library Diversity and Inclusion Guide (Resources include anti-racist reading lists and e-books as well as materials about the history of eugenics)
- Caltech Postdoctoral Association
- CCID Campus Affinity Groups
- CCID Resources
- Center for Teaching and Learning Outreach (CTLO)
- DEI Database
- Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility at Caltech
- Equity and Title IX Office
- Graduate Student Council
- Staff and Faculty Consultation Center
- Student Wellness Services
- WAVE Fellows Program
- American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) - Inclusive excellence and resource lists
- American Economic Association - Bayer, Amanda, Şebnem Kalemli-Özcan, Rohini Pande, Cecilia Elena Rouse, Anthony A. Smith Jr., Juan Carlos Suárez Serrato, and David W. Wilcox (2019). "Best Practices for Economists: Building a More Diverse, Inclusive, and Productive Profession."
- American Historical Association - Statement, standards, and guidelines of the discipline
- American Philosophical Association - Resources on diversity and inclusion
- American Political Science Association - Diversity and inclusion resources
- Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL) Network - Workshops and other resources related to teaching and professional development. Some of these workshops focus on topics relevant to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
- Modern Language Association (MLA) - Statement on inclusive and equitable policies
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) - "Fostering Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Neuroscience Training - Proceedings on a Workshop, In Brief." (April 2021)
- Northwestern University Guide to Inclusive Language
- Research University Alliance
- Society for Neuroscience - Promoting diversity, fostering excellence