I believe equal opportunity is extremely important and every student is unique in their own way. I strive to create an open, inclusive, and equal environment in which every student has the opportunity to flourish.
Highlight the importance of diversity to the organization and its alignment with the organization's. mission and vision. Communicate the benefits of diversity and inclusion for the organization. Identify specific areas of diversity, such as socioeconomic or racial diversity, valued by the organization.
Give examples of a candidate's past contributions to diversity. Demonstrate an understanding of the particular diversity and equity related issues and needs in a candidate's field, or in higher education more generally. Discuss the candidate's vision for how they might make contributions to diversity in the future.
Ideally, you would start with a thesis statement that summarizes your values within DEI (e.g., commitment to building a just society, decentering privileged voices in your discipline, amplifying marginalized voices in your teaching and research) and provide examples throughout the statement to support how you've done ...
Talk about unique experiences you have or unique viewpoints. Diversity doesn't necessarily connote physical characteristics or heritage. Talk about how you'd bring different perspectives to the program. Not belonging to a minority group shouldn't automatically preclude someone from writing a bit about their background.
A simple example of a nonprofit DEI statement can look like this one from Girls Who Code: “Girls Who Code is an organization that values diversity, equity, and inclusion as essential to our mission.”
Excerpt #1: “I care about diversity, equity, and inclusion in my teaching. I am committed to creating a more equitable learning environment for my students.” Excerpt #2: “In my teaching, I will also strive to remain attentive to the negative impacts of power and privilege.
Diversity statements need not be long (they are frequently shorter than a page), but they should speak to your strengths.
Give examples of a candidate's past contributions to diversity. Demonstrate an understanding of the particular diversity and equity related issues and needs in a candidate's field, or in higher education more generally. Discuss the candidate's vision for how they might make contributions to diversity in the future.
Diversity statements are typically only about a page long. You may have a range of experiences you would like to discuss or cover. Be thoughtful about which examples you choose. Each example you choose should highlight a competency, perspective, or experience you have that demonstrates your commitment to DEI.