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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
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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 MS/LIS students in underrepresented groups.
  • Spectrum Scholarship program, which expands efforts to recruit racially and ethnically diverse students to the LIS profession.
  • 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.

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.