The faculty and staff of the College of Science at the University of North Texas are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We celebrate diverse backgrounds, values, and points of view, and recognize their crucial importance in achieving and sustaining excellence in research and education, in building a strong and healthy community, and in preparing students for lives in a multicultural society.

The College of Science leadership feels it is our crucial responsibility to take action and demonstrate our commitment to inclusion in ways that will positively influence and impact our campus community, especially our Black students, faculty, and staff members. We are committed to making the necessary changes that will improve the lives of our Black community members. We stand with #BlackLivesMatter and vow as an institution to actively challenge the insidious nature of systemic racism by reflecting on our own internal issues and how we can improve for the betterment of everyone.

"The values of equity, diversity, and inclusion are fundamental to all of us and in everything we do. That is why we are deeply offended and hurt when these values are violated," said Dean Su Gao. "The demand for action and change from our society resonates with us, and we need each member of our community to work together to make the profound changes that are required of us to create a positive future."

Early in the Spring 2020 semester, the College of Science leadership team decided to form a Council on Diversity and Inclusion consisting of faculty and staff who will advocate and implement changes that address equity, diversity, and inclusion in the college. Though the official appointment of the council was disrupted by the dramatic changes we had to make to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, Dean Gao and his office continued to work to appoint council members based on nominations from faculty and staff. The council, comprised of representatives with varying backgrounds from every COS department and program, will help inform and guide our college leadership on everything from hiring policies to scholarships. We look forward to implementing necessary and helpful changes based on their research and recommendations.

Dean Gao has already begun updating staff and faculty with a series of email announcements about the new initiatives that will be taken, and will continue to do so. He stresses that each of these initiatives implimented will require participation and action by every member of the College of Science community.

The Dean's office has set up a permanent survey link for students, staff, and faculty to share their personal experiences, thoughts, concerns, and suggestions of action items that will be addressed by the council. Anonymous submissions are welcome. The survey can be accessed at https://bit.ly/31k6YHg. In addition, the Council can be contacted via the email address COS-CDI@unt.edu.

The members of the College of Science Faculty and Staff Council on Diversity and Inclusion for 2020-2021 can be found on the College of Science governance page: https://cos.unt.edu/about-us/governance/cos-faculty-and-staff-council-diversity-and-inclusion