Institution and
Unit Commitment to Diversity
“The
history of the great universities is
largely the story of an ever widening
inclusion, however slow, of different
groups and views, based in part on
inclusion as a value in its own right.
More important, the core values of the
academy are enhanced by the inclusion of
more groups, within both the student and
the faculty population, in the quest for
a more coherent account of things”
(Murray and Porter, 1996, 164).
The
University of
Alabama
at
Birmingham
is firmly committed to providing an
environment that is free from
discrimination and where all are
respected and recognized for their
individual differences. Diversity is a
core value at UAB and is defined as the
full range of human difference and
potential that manifests itself in
individual members of the campus
community. Included in this range are
many differences – race, gender, age,
ethnicity, culture, national origin,
religious belief, physical ability,
sexual orientation, socioeconomic class,
lifestyle preference, political
conviction, and any other differences.
The University values diversity among
its students, faculty, and staff,
recognizing that our differences
contribute to our strength as an
academic institution. (http://www.uab.edu/equityanddiversity/mission.hrm)
In
addition to the institution’s definition
of diversity, the professional education
unit also utilizes the NCATE definition:
“Differences among groups of people and
individuals based on ethnicity, race,
socioeconomic status, gender,
exceptionalities, language, religion,
sexual orientation, and geographical
area.” (Professional Standards for
the Accreditation of Schools, Colleges
and Departments of Education: 2002
Edition, p. 53). As indicated in
the conceptual framework proclamation,
“Reflective Professionals Prepared
for Success in Diverse Communities,
and stated in Faculty Belief Statement
#3, the professional education unit is
committed to the belief that programs
must promote and value diversity within
the faculty, candidates, and curricula. |
