Diversity

The Department of Languages & Linguistics recognizes and values that diversity comes in many forms, including, but not limited to: race/ethnicity, language use, class, gender, gender preferences, sexual-orientation, age, country of origin, immigration status, dis/ability, professional rank, student classification, cultural, political, religious, or other group affiliations. We embrace the diversity of languages, dialects, cultural heritages, academic disciplines and ways of producing knowledge, as well as diverse ways of seeing and understanding the world. Furthermore, as part of a Land-Grant, Hispanic-Serving/Minority-Serving Institution, we are honored to work on the Indigenous lands of the Chihene Nde’, Mescalero Apache, Lipan Apache, Diné, Tortugas Pueblo, and the Piro-Manso-Tiwa People, and we acknowledge and respect these American Indian Nations as the original, historical, and perpetual stewards of this land.

Equity

We recognize that on different occasions and at different times in their careers, individuals may support various aspects of our mission in different ways. Nonetheless, we strive to ensure that the distribution of work responsibilities with respect to teaching, service, and outreach is distributed equitably among faculty and aligned with their stated allocation of effort goals. We further endeavor to provide individuals with opportunities to apply and grow their talents in these areas to the benefit of themselves, our department, and the students and diverse communities we serve. We recognize that the process to create equity in the workplace requires continual effort on the part of all of us to acknowledge, identify, and eliminate barriers arising from bias, outdated and unfair practices, or systemic structures.

Inclusion

The use of language is more than just a way to communicate ideas, it can create a sense of community amongst people from all walks of life. Acquiring a first, second, or heritage language for the purpose of communicating with others fosters a broader perspective and enlightened understanding of the world. As educators, through our teaching, research, service, and outreach, we respect linguistic differences and honor people’s diverse identities and strive to include diverse voices and perspectives within our mission. As such, the faculty, staff, and student employees of the Department of Languages & Linguistics strive to be stewards of inclusive language, ideas, and identities that lead to a stronger, more cohesive sense of both local and global communities.