About

Diversity & Inclusion

In keeping with the University of South Florida's "Principles of Community" and "Commitment of Honor", the Department of Sociology & Interdisciplinary Social Sciences is committed to academic freedom, constructive discourse, and the cultivation of a diverse and inclusive scholarly community where the dignity and value of all persons are respected. We strive to live this commitment and display it in our interactions with one another. We acknowledge that discrimination and oppression disadvantage some groups while privileging others in academia as well as society. We value research that seeks to understand and address barriers faced by underrepresented or marginalized groups, teaching that promotes the development and success of all students, service that builds inclusive communities, and efforts to recruit and retain diverse students, faculty, and staff (as allowed by law and USF regulations and policies).

Our undergraduate and graduate programs are designed to help students become constructive and respectful members of diverse communities by developing and practicing critical thinking skills, learning to gather and use information from a wide variety of credible sources, using verifiable data to develop and support sound arguments, engaging in constructive and respectful discussions about challenging topics, learning from the experiences and perspectives of others, and thinking creatively about issues of global and local concern.

Our classes and programs are not intended to espouse, promote, advance, inculcate, or compel a particular feeling, perception, viewpoint, or belief. Instead, students are encouraged to employ critical thinking and to rely on verifiable sources to form and support their evidence-based ideas.

Our department recognizes that the important work of developing and maintaining an inclusive and welcoming community in which all kinds of students, staff, and faculty feel welcome to participate and can thrive is a process that requires continuous self-reflection and willingness to change. One example of this process of self-reflection for change can be found in our 2020 statement below.  

On Juneteenth Day, 2020, the department released a "Diversity and Anti-Racist Action Statement," which was composed collaboratively by the department leadership team and our newly constituted Diversity Committee.