Department of Psychological Sciences STRRIVE approach for addressing anti-racism and Inclusion Diversity, and Equity (IDE)
The Department pledges to actively foster a climate of inclusion and belonging as we acknowledge, address, and combat racism. This pledge is about striving to reach our potential; to respect that each of us approaches this goal from a different place; to understand how history, power, and privilege shape our thinking; and to engage these imperatives with openness, humility, and compassion. The acronym STRRIVE is used to capture our recognition that these are ongoing and evolving efforts. The STRRIVE approach along with a sampling of department activities are described below.
S – Supporting the mental health, coping, and resilience for students, faculty, and staff of color who have experienced racial trauma; supporting faculty, staff, and students in their journey toward developing cultural competencies and humility.
- Developing strategies to support students through the Wellness Resource Committee, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Communications Committee, and Clinical-Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism Committee
- Funding 50% of registration fees/travel for attending an IDE or antiracism conference/workshop
- Identifying faculty member to serve as informal mentors for students from marginalized groups
T – Training and educating undergraduate/graduate students, faculty, and staff about discrimination and disparities based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and other aspects of human diversity
- Developing an IDE training certificate for faculty/staff to engage in continuing education, and transparently reporting in aggregate, on completion of such efforts
- Offering a course on structural and multicultural competencies for graduate students
- Engaging in a department-wide IDE-related One Read Program each semester
- Hosting Diversity Journal Club throughout the academic year
R – Representation - improving the diversity of faculty, staff, and students in the department
- Prioritizing the ability to recruit diverse faculty and retain current diverse faculty
- Supporting Training Area Inclusion Improvement Plans for incoming graduate students
- Participating in MU's Preparing Future Faculty for diversity program for post-doctoral students
- Participating in MU’s TigerView Campus Visitation Program for graduate students
- Supporting and improving the undergraduate research scholars program
R – Research - boosting the skills of faculty, staff, and students to engage in inclusive research strategies
- Hosting Inclusion Science Hour throughout the academic year
- Funding the recruitment of research participants from underrepresented samples in psychological science
- Offering an inclusive science consultant for faculty and students
- Building relationships with minority-serving institutions in the region for future partnerships and collaborations
I – Instruction - enhancing our ability to teach the science of psychology with inclusive pedagogies
- Requiring items on teaching evaluations for students to assess inclusive teaching strategies
- Providing resources and supports for instructors to implement inclusive teaching content and approaches
V – Voice - an encompassing goal of keeping anti-racism and anti-discrimination at the forefront of collective attention, providing avenues for listening, understanding, and constructive dialogue
- Providing annual department IDE updates to ensure that goals and progress are disseminated and monitored
- Requiring representation from each training area on the department's Committee for Diversity and Inclusion
- Expecting area wide involvement in the development of Training Area Inclusion Improvement Plans
E – Evaluation - evaluating and assessing the success of the aforementioned efforts for improving anti-racism and IDE
- Supporting annual monitoring and revision of Training Area inclusion improvement plans
- Incorporating IDE items on department annual survey and conducting climate surveys periodically
- Recognizing IDE activities in P&T and annual faculty evaluations
Diversity in the Department
A diverse department is one in which faculty, staff, and students represent differing cultural, gender, gender identity, political, racial, socio-economic, and sexual orientation backgrounds. A diverse department offers a rich environment that leads to greater knowledge, understanding, acceptance, and mutual respect. We celebrate diversity and encourage cutting-edge diversity science.
The department's commitment to diversity is consistent with the university’s Diversity Initiative that fosters a diverse and inclusive campus environment for students, faculty, and staff.
Faculty Mentors
Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Students – Laura King
Gender Issues – Amanda Rose
International Students – Yuyan Luo
Minority Students - Ann Bettencourt
Students with Disabilities – Lisa Bauer
Committee of Diversity and Inclusion
Committee on Diversity & Inclusion
Clinical – Lisa Flores
Cognition & Neuroscience – Scott Frey
Developmental – Jordan Booker
Quantitative – Clint Stober
Social – Ann Bettencourt (Chair)
Faculty - Etti Naveh-Benjamin (Teaching Faculty)
Graduate Student – Courtney Jorgenson
Graduate Student – Yonca Cam
Graduate Student – Chris Sanders
Clinical Area Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism Committee
Faculty
Erin Bullett
Lisa Flores
John Kerns
Sean Lane
Jenna Strawhun
Erika Waller
Graduate Students
Courtney Bernardin
Hayley Clocksin
Charles Darmour
Megan Fleming
Alan Guandique
Tionna Hough
Casey Kohen
Rylee Park
Amelia Pellegrini
Anna Porter
Desmond Spann
Kellyn Spychala
Olivia Warner
Mairead Willis
Department Communications Advisory Group
Chair: Jamie Arndt
Faculty: Jenna Strawhun
Faculty: Ann Bettencourt
Graduate Student: Olivia Warner (GASP Senior representative)
Graduate Student: Brittney Bishop (GASP Junior representative)
Graduate Student: Jaclyn Valadka (non-GASP representative