The Department of Environmental Science and Technology (ENST) is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment. We recognize that creating an environment that fosters respect, equity, and inclusion requires intentional effort and a commitment from all members of our department. We believe that a diverse and inclusive environment is essential for innovation, creativity, and excellence in all areas of our work, including teaching, research, and extension. At ENST, we recognize the importance of taking intentional steps to create an equitable and inclusive environment.
In ENST, we established four DEIR (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Respect) goals/priority areas: 1) prioritize a culture of inclusion within the department as a foundation for implementation of all other goals, 2) seek grant opportunities to provide funding to sustain new DEIR initiatives within the department, 3) actively increase the opportunities for DEIR engagement with our students in the department, building upon the current DEIR teaching initiatives already in place, and 4) improve marketing and visibility of our DEIR efforts to enhance the diversity within the department at all levels. Each of the four priority areas have action items, how each goal will be measured, and who is accountable for ensuring work. The goals and action items are listed below. The ENST DEIR priorities areas will be evaluated annually.
This document will serve as a living document, as we continue to refine and enhance our DEIR initiatives and align our priorities with existing and forthcoming University of Maryland and College of Agricultural and Natural Resources’ DEIR initiatives and activities. This DEIR document is the first step in this process by outlining our goals and action items and provides guidance on how to measure our progress. The identified priority areas were developed and refined by 10 members of the ENST Diversity and Mentoring Committee, with written feedback received from the circulated draft ENST DEIR document by 23 stakeholders, including 11 faculty, 5 staff members, and 7 graduate/undergraduate students. The ENST Community voted 37-0 in favor of the priority areas during the November 18th, 2020 faculty/staff meeting, with updates adopted during our February 8th, 2023 faculty/staff meeting.
Goal 1: Enhance ENST Culture and Climate within the DEIR Context
Action Item 1: Define DEIR as it pertains to ENST. Incorporate DEIR statements, definitions, action items, and purpose that are consistent with University-wide language into our ENST Strategic Planning document. This document is currently being developed to establish, engage, and document our efforts to reach our 5-year goals. The ENST Strategic Plan will be released in early 2021 and will be displayed on our website.
- Measurement: Hold a Brown Bag or seminar to solicit input on DEIR definitions, as it relates to ENST. Publication of Strategic Plan on the website by 2021, with DEIR initiatives and definitions fully integrated into the departmental goals and plans.
- Person Accountable: ENST Strategic Planning Chair
- Yearly Goal Achieved, with DEIR goals and language incorporated into our ENST Strategic Plan (2021-2026) adopted on April 14, 2021.
Action Item 2: Creation of DEIR tab on the ENST website that defines DEIR, outlines the initiatives approved by the department, tracks each goal’s progress, links to additional resources, and provides a platform to highlight the work of the initiatives listed below.
- Measurement: Publication of DEI tab on website by the end of 2021.
- Person Accountable: ENST Webmaster
- Yearly Goal Achieved, with the DEIR tab published on the ENST website in 2022.
Action Item 3: On the created webpages, provide university resources for students, faculty, and staff to document instances of hate, bias, and discrimination. Additionally, create an anonymous Suggestion Box survey link on the ENST webpages to offer suggestions for improving our departmental culture, reducing implicit bias, and/or resolve conflicts that do not reach the level of University reporting but could improve our culture, if addressed. (Note: AGNR will be in charge of conducting a yearly climate survey to supplement this effort).
- Measurement: Publication of Suggestion Box survey on website by the end of 2021.
- Person Accountable: ENST Webmaster for creation of suggestion box. ENST Diversity Chair for addressing and providing feedback on suggestions given.
- Yearly Goal Achieved, with the suggestion box published on the ENST website in 2022.
Action Item 4: Support and create new DEIR clubs and initiatives within the department, such as book clubs, women’s support group, DEIR brown bags, and encourage participating in college and university-level initiatives, such as MANNRS and SOARE.
- Measurement: Creation of two new groups within the department (in 2020 or 2021) and hold two brown bags a year devoted to DEIR initiatives.
- Person Accountable: ENST Diversity and Mentoring Committee Chair
- Yearly Goal Partially Achieved, with a Women’s Group formed and increase in MANNRS and SOARE participation in 2022.
Action Item 5: Support and provide DEIR training opportunities for faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students in staff and faculty meetings, graduate seminars series, in the required graduate course ENST 602: Research Principles and Methodology in Environmental Science & Technology, and within in undergraduate clubs.
- Measurement: One DEIR session per year in the graduate seminar series, two class periods devoted to DEIR and implicit bias training in ENST 602, at least one DEIR training session held for ENST faculty and staff, update the graduate handbook to include our DEIR initiatives by 2022, and work with undergraduate clubs and their advisors to increase DEIR training opportunities.
- Person Accountable: ENST Diversity and Mentoring Committee Chair and ENST Graduate Committee Chair
- Yearly Goal Partially Achieved, with a session in ENST 702 on DEIR.
Action Item 6: Keep track of the demographics and trends for undergraduates, graduate students, PTK, staff, and tenure-track faculty. Conceptualize and gauge our demographics and trends to other Research 1 Universities with environmental science programs.
- Measurement: Receipt of demographics and trend data by 2021, with annual documentation of trends.
- Person Accountable: ENST Department Chair
- Yearly Goal Partially Achieved, with demographics available online for ENST.
Action Item 7: Enhance graduate students, staff, and professional track faculty (PTK) mentoring and training. Quantify baseline and increases in mentoring activity.
- Measurement: An increase in the creation of mentoring program or mentoring committees for staff and professional track faculty PTK faculty and peer mentoring program developed within our Graduate student organization: GATES based on baseline data (prior to 2020) and yearly evaluations.
- Person Accountable: ENST Chair of PTK Committee, Director of ENST Human Resources, and ENST Graduate Committee Chair.
- Yearly Goal Partially Achieved, with mentoring program developing in GATES.
Action Item 8: Include environmental justice and service to diverse communities in the Faculty Review and Salary (FRS), with 10% of the faculty evaluation score devoted to service.
- Measurement: Implement FRS procedural change and change Plan of Governance document by 2021.
- Person Accountable: ENST FRS Committee Chair
- Yearly Goal Achieved, with environmental justice and service to diverse communities included in the FRS review committee with 10% of the FRS evaluation scored devoted to service.
Action Item 9: Encourage faculty, staff, and students to host and participate in DEIR activities/outreach, training sessions, and DEIR committees in professional societies, DEIR professional development, University hosted events, and within ENST and AGNR student groups (GATES, RESTORE, AEES, MANRRS).
- Measurement: Participation in University DEIR sessions/activities, student groups host a DEIR session, and/or DIER committee/training participation in professional societies.
- Person Accountable: ENST Diversity and Mentoring Committee Chair
Action Item 10: Encourage the ENST Awards Committee to consider how to incorporate DEIR initiatives, trainings, and service into departmental award(s) and encourage departmental nominations for college-level and external DEIR awards.
- Measurement: Nominations for University and external awards. DEIR criteria or specific awards considered for ENST departmental awards.
- Person Accountable: ENST Awards Committee Chair
Action Item 11: Encourage participation in the AGNR climate survey through email reminders and strive to achieve a 75% response rate. Discuss results at faculty and staff meetings and/or retreat to determine how results can be used to increase inclusivity at the departmental level, which could include forming/joining/supporting affinity groups, additional trainings, or other activities.
- Measurement: 75% response rate to climate surveys. Discussion of results at faculty and staff meetings or departmental retreat, with actions taken based on the discussion.
- Person Accountable: ENST Department Chair
Action Item 12: Develop and enhance the Mentoring program with Staff in ENST.
- Measurement: Creation of a Staff mentoring program
- Person Accountable: Director of ENST Human Resources
Goal 2: Enhance and Sustain DEIR Initiatives through Securing Grants and Resources
Action Item 1: Apply, execute, and sustain funded programs with integrated DEIR initiatives and goals from programs/agencies, such as National Science Foundation, US Dept of Agriculture, Maryland Water Resources Research Center, Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES), and Delmarva Seed grants, in collaboration with HBCUs and Minority-Serving Institutions.
- Measurement #1: An increase in applying for and executing grants with environmental justice and DEIR research incorporation, evaluated yearly.
- Measurement #2: An increase in applying for and executing grants in collaboration with HBCUs and Minority-Serving Institutions, evaluated yearly.
- Person Accountable: ENST Research Committee Chair
- Yearly Goal Achieved, new grants with HBCUs and environmental justice have been secured.
Action Item 2: Faculty training on how to effectively engage and partner with HBCUs and Minority-Serving Institutions.
- Measurement: Faculty training provided on HBCU engagement during faculty meeting or seminar by 2022.
- Person Accountable: ENST Department Chair
Goal 3: Increase Integration of DEIR into Course Content
Action Item 1: Each ENST specialization meet and review concentration requirements and course syllabi to document and highlight how DEIR is already being addressed in their courses and how more DEIR classes and requirements at the concentration level, and more diverse authors, environmental justice, and DEIR themes can be added at the course level. Ensure that the TLTC Diversity statements are included in syllabi.
- Measurement: Track and document courses that integrate DEIR concepts on our ENST specialization sheets and website.
- Person Accountable: ENST Undergraduate Committee Chair
- Yearly Goal Achieved, with meetings at each concentration level to identify and increase DEIR themes, environmental justice, and diverse authors in coursework.
Action Item 2: Create new courses and highlight existing courses that weave DEIR initiatives throughout the course content, encouraging interdisciplinary courses or content, where appropriate.
- Measurement: Create two new courses or modify existing courses to further integrate DEIR into course teachings (Note: one is already planned).
- Person Accountable: ENST Undergraduate Committee Chair
- Yearly Goal Achieved, with new courses created on DEIR themes created and taught.
Action Item 3: Student internship credit for work/presentations at local, diverse high schools, especially those that have graduated from those schools, and/or environmental justice work.
- Measurement: Five interns complete internship credit using high school outreach methods or environmental justice outreach/research by 2022, with at least two interns per year participating in this program.
- Person Accountable: ENST Internship Chair
Goal 4: Enhance Visibility of our DEIR Initiatives to Aid in Recruitment
Action Item 1: Create professional handouts and website content to highlight on-going and new Diversity and Environmental Justice work in ENST, including marketing ENST via various external and internal channels, especially entities that work with diverse populations, to increase its visibility and the overall awareness of ENST within local, regional, national, private, and governmental/non-governmental communities.
- Measurement: 5 new pieces of content developed by 2022.
- Person Accountable: ENST Marketing Chair and ENST Webmaster
Action Item 2: Market our 4+1 MS program and current scholarship opportunities to retain and recruit diverse students in our program and solicit more of these types of opportunities.
- Measurement: Develop a website advertising the scholarship by 2021 and outlining our 4+1 MS program.
- Person Accountable: ENST Awards Committee Chair and ENST Webmaster
Action Item 3: Formalize ENST high school connections through annual advertising of research training and high school internship openings in ENST, with success stories of our current and former diverse high school interns.
- Measurement: Annual advertising of internships, preferably at the beginning of the school year or prior to the school year starting. Two internship pieces developed on the website by 2022.
- Person Accountable: ENST Marketing Chair and ENST Webmaster
Action Item 4: Being mindful that diverse perspectives are needed, encourage faculty and staff to investigate resources and opportunities, such as the FAMILIE program, and apply to these programs to grow diversity within the department. This should include increasing the number of HBCU and Minority-Serving Institution scholars speaking at our ENST Departmental Seminars.
- Measurement: Two HBCU and Minority-Serving Institution scholars present each year and application of diverse faculty hiring opportunities, when available.
- Person Accountable: ENST Graduate Committee Chair and ENST Department Chair
- Yearly Goal Achieved, with one new faculty member hired through the FAMILIE program and an increased in diverse speakers and HBCU scholars in seminars.
Action Item 5: Complete inventory of existing DEIR programs, resources, activities, and impacts in ENST and report to AGNR DEIR council April 1st of each year.
- Measurement: Submit ENST inventory in required template by April 1st
- Person Accountable: ENST Diversity and Mentoring Committee Chair
Action Item 6: Create visible and accessible documents on the website of the DEIR Plan, ENST Strategic Plan, and the ENST Plan of Governance, which includes merit pay distribution plan, Advancement, Promotion, Tenure (APT plan), and mentoring.
- Measurement: Update website with any changes to ENST DEIR plan and Plan of Governance
- Person Accountable: ENST Webmaster
- Yearly Goal Achieved, with the DEIR Plan, the Strategic Plan, and the ENST Plan of Governance online, which includes merit pay distribution, APT plan, and mentoring plan.
Action Item 7: Implement college-level best practices in hiring throughout the unit-level hires, including student and hourly labor, with encouraged participation in University-level or college-level bias reduction workshops.
- Measurement: Training materials provided to ENST faculty and staff on best practices in hiring in AGNR.
- Person Accountable: Director of ENST Human Resources
Action Item 8: Student and faculty-led outreach activities (GATES, RESTORE, AEES and classroom activities) with diverse schools (K-12, HBCUs, community colleges, and Gallaudet) focusing on creating collaborative STEM education that incorporates environmental justice and increasing recruitment of graduate students from HBCUs into our program.
- Measurement: One outreach activity per semester with diverse schools incorporating environmental justice.
- Person Accountable: ENST Advisors and ENST Diversity and Mentoring Committee Chair
Action Item 9: Increased unit level communication about our current student work, potential collaborations with academic programs, and funding opportunities for students, including diversity scholarships.
- Measurement: One student spotlight per semester and better website visibility of student opportunities.
- Person Accountable: ENST Webmaster and ENST Diversity and Mentoring Committee Chair
