Well-being and Belonging
Consistent with K-State’s Principles of Community, the Department of Geology affirms the value of well-being and belonging for all. We stand united against all forms of discrimination, and we are dedicated to building a climate that values and champions the contributions, interests and narratives of all individuals. Our goal is to foster personal and professional growth in our students, faculty, and staff.
We are committed to supporting and increasing well-being and belonging among the students, faculty, and staff in our department and our college. Our faculty and students lead outreach events and contribute to programs that increase participation in science. We also work to improve departmental culture and hiring practices and meet the needs of all students. Through these efforts, we hope to ensure that a diverse workforce of geologists can help meet the needs of Kansas and beyond. We recognize that such a workforce brings new perspectives, a wider talent pool, more innovation and higher productivity to the workplace, being better equipped to address the complex and multi-faceted problems pertaining to the field of geosciences.
Why does well-being and belonging matter?
There are many reasons we should strive to build a strong community. It is our societal responsibility to attract talents from all populations, and our professional responsibility to provide skillful professionals to fulfill the deficit of 16,000 projected geoscience posts by 2029 (AGI, 2020). We believe that when people have a sense of well-being and feel they belong, people work harder both cognitively and socially, leading to better outcomes. Moreover, a scientific community that is representative of the population as a whole is better suited to serve societal needs (Velasco & Velasco, 2010).
What actions are we taking at K-State’s Geology Department to increase well-being and belonging?
The Department of Geology has taken a multidirectional approach including:
1) Active participation in the Well-being and Belonging Committee of the College of Arts and Sciences;
2) Award of an NSF grant (“GeoCAT Workshop”), which aims at developing career paths in the Geosciences for under-represented students in the geosciences;
3) Incorporation of related activities as service in the Department document, which formally recognizes these activities as part of the promotion and tenure process;
4) Participation in GROW/EXCITE programs developed by K-State’s Office for the Advancement of Women in Science and Engineering (KAWSE), an interdisciplinary program designed “to increase girls' interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.”
5) Participation in Alianza, the Latinx Faculty and Staff Alliance;
Initiatives and reports from professional societies
AGU's Workshop 2 Recording: Exploring Challenges to Diversifying Faculty
AGU's Workshop 3 Recording: Effective Strategies for Student Organizing
AGU’s Bridge Program
GSA’s On To the Future program
GSA Events Code of Conduct
National Association of Black Geoscientists
Other web resources and academic research articles
American Geophysical Union (AGU) Ethics Center
Scientific American’s Black History Month: Making History in the Geosciences
Why are there so few Hispanic students in geoscience?
Obstacles to the recruitment of minorities into the geosciences: A call to action
Diversity in the Geosciences and Successful Strategies for Increasing Diversity
Increasing diversity in the Geosciences
No progress on diversity in 40 years