A RE-COMMITMENT TO JUSTICE, EQUITY, AND RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY OF ALL KINDS 

 

February 1, 2023 

In January 2021, the CSUF Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (COMD) developed its first ever diversity statement (“ A Commitment to Justice, Equity, and Respect for   Diversity of all Kinds PDF File ”).  As part of this statement, the department made a commitment to become educated and informed individuals who are sensitized to the differing as well as    shared needs and realities of each other.  We also stated that we would become more   aware of our internal biases, prejudices and acts of discrimination through ongoing self-reflection and education. We promise to minimize behaviors that result in the   marginalization, dehumanization and othering of others, holding ourselves accountable when   they do take place.  Finally, the department also made a commitment to the development of an annual department action plan with input from the various stake-holders and voices within our   COMD community to ensure that the principles outlined in this statement are put into action.  

The purpose of this statement is to reaffirm the values within our original statement and to also put forth a proposed action plan for 2023.  This updated action plan was co-created using collaborative input from multiple stakeholders within the department that reflects the values expressed within our initial statement. The department also recognizes the importance of acknowledging numerous changes in perspectives that have occurred over the last two years nationally, globally, within our profession, and the wider CSUF community.  These perspectives require us to address issues of diversity, SOCIAL justice, equity and inclusion.  

As part of our renewed commitment, we strive to develop even greater compassion and empathy for the needs of all within our community.  This commitment requires that we are inclusive of the diverse learning styles, communication styles, personal/family obligations and commitments, life challenges, job/economic/financial/workload challenges, health/wellness/disability support needs, and differing individual goals/aspirations among members of our community. We commit to engage in collaborative work and teaching/learning relationships that respect the differences we all bring while still working toward a common goal. We continue to commit to ongoing personal self-reflection and education that helps us to better recognize and minimize the potential impact of institutionalized power structures and inequities that can lead to explicit as well as implicit forms of bias in how we interact with each other. We commit as well to a work and teaching/learning environment that is fair and just for all.  Finally, we recommit to a goal of living in harmony and peace with each other regardless of individual differences while also respecting those differences.  

In line with these commitments, the department recommends the following action plan for 2023:  

  1. Requiring COMD 404 (“Communication Development/Disorders in Children from Culturally/Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds”) as a core required class for graduation and attainment of the CSUF COMD Bachelor of Science degree .
  2. Additional training of faculty with respect to the following as a means for enhancing individual interpersonal and classroom teaching/advising/counseling interactions with students from diverse backgrounds and experiences:         
    1. Strategies for implementing cultural humility during interpersonal and teaching interactions 
    2. Identifying and acknowledging the potential impact of implicit and explicit bias on interpersonal and teaching interactions 
    3. Identifying and acknowledging the potential impact of individual faculty variables (including but not limited to age, generational status, socio-economic status, educational status, ethnicity, gender/gender identity, national origin, religion, ability/disability status) on interpersonal and teaching interactions
  3. Encouraging COMD student clubs to collaborate once a year on a co-coordinate event focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as part of a multicultural event/week
  4. Revisiting the COMD Diversity Statement and action plan with collaborative input from COMD students, faculty, and staff in Fall 2023