MCS Funds to Aid Diversity Plan Implementation
One MCS goal is to maintain steady attention to the university’s strategic priority to increase the diversity of our faculty, students and staff. A key part of our success is to ensure a supportive environment that also reaches out and welcomes to our community people with diverse backgrounds and experiences who wish to pursue their education and work in science.
MCS Diversity Committee was created to facilitate and coordinate diversity-related efforts across departments. This work has begun with sharing information and strategies across departments such as for graduate recruiting. In addition, the Dean will set aside funds each year, administered by this committee, to aid departments and other interested groups in implementing the MCS Diversity Strategic Plan along with each of the departmental diversity strategic plans. This memo outlines how to request these funds.
Requests for $500 or less can be submitted at any time by email to both of us as co-chairs of the MCS Diversity Committee. Examples of requests could include (but are not limited to):
- targeted ads or mailing lists for faculty searches such as from the Minority and Women Doctoral Directory,
- costs of an exhibitor booth for graduate recruiting at a conference, materials for outreach activities with underrepresented students, or
- a social gathering for groups of underrepresented students.
Requests for more than $500 require partial funding from the department(s) which will then be matched by the college 3:1, up to $2000, and will be reviewed by the Diversity Committee three times each year. The deadlines for submission of proposals will be August 15, February 15, and May 15. Examples of requests could include (but are not limited to):
- travel to women or minority conferences to identify and recruit diverse faculty or students,
- partial summer support for students from underrepresented groups,
- travel for MCS faculty seminars at minority-serving institutions or to invite their faculty to MCS, or
- event costs for honoring K-12 teachers involved in science fairs or other programs designed to retain diverse students in the science pipeline.
A very brief form (MS Word file) outlines the information to be provided in requests for funding. We encourage you to contact us to discuss ideas for projects at any time and to maximize opportunities to share strategies across departments.
Rea Freeland, Associate Dean for Special Projects
Gregg Franklin, Associate Dean for Faculty and Graduate Affairs
 Diversity funds form (MS Word file)
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