The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (OVCDEI) leads our campus toward an increasingly diverse and inclusive community that is open, just, and welcoming for all. Core to its mission are three goals: lead and foster collaborations that substantively increase inclusivity in all areas of University life; facilitate access to our University’s knowledge and resources through synergies that benefit the community and state; and fulfill the University’s mandated compliance responsibilities.
Diversity & Inclusion
A welcoming environment for everyone
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion creates an environment of respectful and thoughtful interactions among members of the iSchool and campus family. Here, you'll find a culture where diversity of thought, personal integrity, and inclusive excellence prepares leaders for an increasingly global and digital society. It's a home where the emotional and intellectual well-being of the full community is supported.
How do we foster diversity and inclusion?
- We encourage leadership, policies, and practices that are inclusive.
- We integrate diverse and critical perspectives into the curriculum and research.
- We actively recruit and retain traditionally underrepresented groups of students, faculty, and staff.
- We create an environment where difference is valued and conflict is managed with care.
Inclusion initiatives
The iSchool supports diversity of worldviews, histories, and cultural knowledge across a range of social groups including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, abilities, economic class, religion, and their intersections. Academic, recruitment, and campus-wide inclusion initiatives assist us in this mission, including:
- A joint degree in LIS and African Studies in collaboration with the Center for African Studies.
- Financial aid services and scholarships for MSLIS students in underrepresented groups.
- The American Library Association's Spectrum Scholarship Program, which chooses candidates based on their commitment to community building, leadership potential, and planned contributions to making social justice part of everybody's everyday work in LIS.
- iSchool Diversity Committee oversees all aspects of the efforts by the School to foster a diverse community.
- Campus support through the Office of Student Affairs, various cultural houses, Inclusive Illinois diversity initiatives, the Office of Inclusion & Intercultural Relations, and the Graduate College.
Land Acknowledgement Statement
As a land-grant institution, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a responsibility to acknowledge the historical context in which it exists. In order to remind ourselves and our community, we will begin this event with the following statement. We are currently on the lands of the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Piankashaw, Wea, Miami, Mascoutin, Odawa, Sauk, Mesquaki, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Chickasaw Nations. It is necessary for us to acknowledge these Native Nations and for us to work with them as we move forward as an institution. Over the next 150 years, we will be a vibrant community inclusive of all our differences, with Native peoples at the core of our efforts.
Questions? I can help.
Eugene L. Moore,
Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility