Diversity is a central component of our academic mission at Indiana University Bloomington; our teaching, learning, scholarship, research, and creativity are immeasurably enriched by students, faculty, and staff with diverse experiences. We at Indiana University Bloomington understand diversity as the experiences, values, practices, and worldviews stemming from varied cultures and circumstances (including, but not limited to, those from historically underrepresented groups). Furthermore, in our educational mission to enrich understandings of community, citizenship, nationhood, and global relationships, we also believe it is important to recognize and remedy historic imbalances in allocation of resources to teaching, research, service, and campus culture. In doing so, we strive to teach our students to value the inclusion of people from groups that experience discrimination and underrepresentation and, ultimately, to respect, explore, and celebrate differences. This endeavor prepares our students to participate in national and global communities that require them to embrace and understand differences in order to foster fruitful relationships. Indiana University Bloomington’s educational mission and its status as an international institution mandate the centrality of diversity to our campus.
To retain its leadership role within the educational community, our campus must do more than merely promote policies of nondiscrimination as articulated in the Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Policy of Indiana University. We must include all who comprise our university community and foster a campus climate in which diverse influences are respected and valued. Consequently, Indiana University Bloomington prohibits discrimination based on arbitrary consideration of such characteristics as age, citizenship, color, disability, ethnicity, familial obligations, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, national origin or ancestry, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, or veteran status. This campus is to remain a place of tolerance and respect for all, where diversity of opinions are civilly debated. Our pledge to diversity is an indispensable principle—vital to our goal of an inclusive campus community and governing all students, personnel, and arenas of campus engagement in pursuit of Indiana University Bloomington’s teaching, research, and service missions. This commitment to diversity extends beyond a set of ideas or nondiscrimination policies; we actively strive to promote diversity, expand access, create a safe and supportive environment, and foster a community that embraces and celebrates all groups.
(Approved: BFC, 1/17/2017)