Diversity and Inclusion at ECE

The purpose of the ECE Diversity & Inclusion Committee is to contribute positively to an environment that welcomes and embraces all perspectives to create a diverse and inclusive learning community for the next generation of engineers. On both the Blacksburg and Northern Virginia campuses, we aspire to be a welcoming and inclusive learning community. We are committed to developing the resources and processes to have difficult conversations, where we can listen and learn from each other and grow as a community.

1) Understand and report how well we are doing with regard to diversity and inclusion. This includes:

• Quantitative studies (climate survey).
• Examination of peer-reviewed literature regarding diversity and inclusion.

2) Providing an environment where students, staff, and faculty are comfortable describing personal and potentially difficult experiences.

3) Educate, empower, and lead the department in a cultural shift that prioritizes and facilitates diversity and inclusion

We will provide the information, resources, and leadership to bring change. We are developing long-term strategies and will continually strive for improvement.

Our Diversity and Inclusion committee consists of several ECE faculty members and staff focused on creating a welcoming environment for all faculty, staff and students. We welcome your input. Please reach out to members of the ECE Diversity & Inclusion Committee with any feedback. 

Are you interested in fostering a more inclusive atmosphere in your workplace, classroom, and/or research programs?  There are numerous on- and off-campus activities that have been developed to help you achieve this goal.

For example, you may sign up for classes offered by VT’s Professional Development Network (PDN), a unit of the Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS).

To sign up for such classes, you can simply go to the TLOS website to find a large selection of classes for professional development.

To find classes on fostering inclusivity, simply click the “Categories” button, and select “Inclusive Practices.” Example courses include, “Fostering a Growth Mindset,” “Anti-Racist Teaching,” and “Creating an Inclusive Workplace.”

Many of the classes are online and self-paced, where you can go through instructor-designed modules on Canvas. Some of the classes also include live sessions. After going through the modules, you will reach the “Course Completion” page on Canvas, at which point you will receive course credit and get a digital badge for completing the course.

VirTual Safe Zone training is available with meetings once per week for five weeks, with four five-week sessions per semester to choose from. You get five NLI credits for completing this training.

There are interesting readings and insightful discussion boards each week to prepare for the weekly meeting conducted via Zoom with all the members. Topics include LGBTQ+ issues that our students may face, and how to best handle these situations.

Upon completion, a digital Safe Zone badge is awarded to signal to students that you are aware and approachable for anything they may need. To see meeting dates and to register, visit here.

The ECE Department strongly encourages faculty and staff to complete at least one course on inclusive practices. Such classes enable us to better understand others’ perspectives, and provide helpful strategies that we can employ to make our department an inclusive, safe space for students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds. These courses also allow us to connect with and exchange experiences and ideas with faculty and staff members from outside of ECE.

There is also a wealth of courses, workshops, and seminars provided by other institutions. For instance, the Inclusive Engineering Consortium (IEC), a consortium of historically minority-serving institutions, hosts regular workshops and other events related to increasing diversity and inclusion in ECE education.