Inclusive Excellence at SEFS
The University of Washington, College of the Environment, and the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences (SEFS) are committed to promoting respect for the rights and privileges of all, understanding and appreciating human differences and the constructive expression of ideas.
SEFS has adopted a statement of commitment:
Respect for difference and equity is a core value in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. We acknowledge and embrace difference (including race, gender, class, sexuality, religion, age, citizenship status, and ability) as we strive to create learning environments, scholarship, mentoring relationships, and working environments that foster inclusivity and belonging in our community. To do so, we strive to promote equity and inclusion by eliminating individual and institutional discrimination.
See the full SEFS Inclusion statement here and the SEFS Inclusion plan here.
Learn more about Inclusive Excellence at The College of the Environment:
Inclusive Excellence Committee
SEFS’ Inclusive Excellence Committee is a committee in which faculty, staff, and students come together to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of SEFS’ programs and culture.
The School of Environmental and Forest Sciences (SEFS) community recognizes the importance of creating and maintaining strong partnerships with the Indigenous tribes, nations, and peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Learn more about the partnerships here.
Committee Charges
- Track inclusion efforts within SEFS
- Find new, inclusive pathways for recruiting faculty, staff and students
- Seek to find and remove barriers to diversity at SEFS
- Create partnerships with and learn best practices from other diversity efforts, both on and off campus
- Involve the diverse membership of SEFS in leadership and mentorship
Contact
To be put in touch with SEFS’ Inclusive Excellence Committee members please reach out to SEFS Communications team.
Dismantling Barriers to Learning
Students who anticipate or experience barriers to learning or full participation in a course based on a physical, learning or mental health disability should immediately contact the instructor to discuss possible accommodation(s). If a student has, or thinks they have, a temporary or permanent disability that impacts participation in any course, please contact Disability Resources for Students (DRS) at: 206-543-8924 V / 206-543-8925 TDD or uwdss@uw.edu. Please also feel free to contact SEFS Student and Academic Services with any questions or concerns.
Resources Supporting Inclusive Excellence
The School of Environmental and Forest Sciences is committed to creating a truly inclusive community for all. On this page, you’ll find resources designed to support development of a more inclusive community.
If you have questions, comments or suggestions about and for this page, please contact SEFS at sefscomm@uw.edu.
Mental Health Resources
The University, as well as local entities, have a number of wellness resources to ensure that all members of our community have places to turn for support. Here are some of them:
- The UW Student Counseling Center provides counseling services to students.
- The UW Student Counseling Center hosts relevant workshops for students.
- The health and wellness resources at the Ethnic Cultural Center include links to community mental health and counseling resources and a resource to build awareness of the 9 dimensions of wellness.
- This 2019 article from The Seattle Times summarizes mental-health resources in King County and Washington state.
- The Whole U provides virtual fitness and mindfulness courses.
- CareLink has mental-health resources for UW employees.
Additional Resources
- College of the Environment Diversity Resources for Faculty and Staff and Postdocs provides a list of resources including funding opportunities, hiring guidelines, and links to other resources.
- UW Diversity Page provides a general UW diversity portal to the programs and efforts on and off campus, as well as resources for students, faculty and staff.
- UW Tribal Relations centralizes Native American resources on the Seattle campus. There are pages for the Intellectual House and Tribal Leadership Summit. The Summit includes a Memorandum of Understanding between the Intertribal Timber Council and SEFS, which helps to provide scholarship support for qualified Tribal students.
- ADVANCE The National Science Foundation ADVANCE Program strives to increase the participation of women in academic science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers with funding opportunities for individuals and organizations to help pursue these goals.
- Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center has a wealth of resources and opportunities available to students including student advising, organizational development, personal growth and referrals to different departments and programs.
- UW Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity has a mission of ensuring the access and academic success of diverse populations through the advancement of knowledge, academic excellence, diversity and the promotion of values, principles and a climate that enriches the campus experience for all.
- Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS)
MANRRS provides networks to support professional development of minorities. - Intertribal Timber Council Established in 1976, the ITC is a nonprofit nation-wide consortium of Indian Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations and individuals dedicated to improving the management of natural resources of importance to Native American communities. Also provides student scholarships.
- ESA SEEDS is an education program of the Ecological Society of America. Its mission is to diversify and advance the ecology profession through opportunities that stimulate and nurture the interest of underrepresented students to not only participate in ecology, but to lead.
- Seattle Milk Fund empowers parents toward higher education opportunities by funding child care grants and providing family support.
Reporting Concerns and Grievances
In our efforts to support the academic and professional success of all members of the SEFS community, we encourage members of the community to identify incidents or events that affect their sense of safety in the community. We take reports of these incidents and events, large or small, very seriously. In doing so, we are careful to respect privacy, confidentiality, and due process in recording and responding to such reports. Given the trauma associated with some of these incidents, we also recognize the value of services provided by the university to support the mental and physical health and safety of those who experience these incidents. We will track reports made by any of the reporting pathways, so we can observe and act on patterns that emerge. Read more about the processes in place for reporting grievances and concerns here.