Dear Students,
As a science community, we spend a lot of time thinking about and doing science-y stuff, like coding, titrating, solving and graphing. But the success of scientific endeavors also depends on social-interpersonal skills that enable people to collaborate across diverse perspectives, expertise and experience. Indeed, studies show that diverse research groups produce higher quality science. This is one reason why I feel that an important component of training in natural sciences is training in how to support and enhance diversity, equity and inclusivity in our communities. As we gear up for registration for the spring semester, I want to highlight a CNS course and concentration that will provide you with such training.
Civil Discourse is a one-hour course that serves as an introduction to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Concentration, led by Dr. Tonia Guida. The course is designed to empower students with terminology, critical thinking and empathy tools for engaging in productive conversations around difficult topics. This course also meets the Cultural Diversity in the U.S. Flag requirement. We will be offering two sections of Civil Discourse in the Spring:
Students in the concentration who have completed the course say it:- provided them with a safe space for self-reflection and dialogue,
- helped them to develop tools to build empathy, and
- allowed them to leverage their experiences in job and internship interviews.
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