Inclusive Excellence@OSU seeks to transform STEM education at Oregon State University and our allied 2-year colleges, Linn-Benton and Lane Community Colleges. Oregon State is one of 57 institutions to receive a $1 million, 5-year grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), challenging them to “substantially and sustainably increase their capacity for inclusion of all students, especially those students who belong to groups underrepresented in science.” The program is a collaboration of OSU's STEM Research Center, College of Science, and Division of Undergraduate Education.
Oregon State University defines Inclusive Excellence as “the recognition that an organization’s success is dependent on, and tied directly to, how well it values, engages and includes the rich diversity of its community members, including its students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends, and affiliates.” The HHMI’s Inclusive Excellence is grounded on three agreements:
Each year, IE at OSU welcomes a cohort of up to 20 STEM faculty from OSU, Linn-Benton, and Lane Community Colleges to participate in a year-long fellowship. The fellowship has three components:
The Inclusive Excellence Academy has three goals. First, to create a thriving community of peers who are invested in inclusive excellence in STEM. second, to challenge fellows to develop equity and justice-oriented mindsets; and third, to explore pedagogical practices that fellows can experiment with and implement in their own classrooms. The 2021 IE Academy will begin with four 4-hour sessions prior to the beginning of Fall term, on September 8th, 9th, 13th, and 14th, followed by four 2-hour sessions held over the course of Fall term, ending in Week 8. Fellows can expect to engage in reflective dialogue and activities throughout the Academy - during sessions as well as between sessions on an IE Canvas page.
The Inclusive Excellence program for 2021 is currently planned to be fully remote, with the possibility of including some in-person sessions in alignment with state and university guidelines.
Each IE Fellow will develop and implement an action plan to create change within their sphere of influence. The IE Team will guide fellows through ideation, planning, and evaluation of the action plans over the course of the Academy, with fellows being expected to implement their action plans in Winter and Spring terms 2022. Previous IE Fellow Action Plans can be seen here. After the Academy, fellows will work with partners with aligned Action Plans for continued peer support and thought-partnership. Each team will receive ongoing support and connection with a member of the IE Team, and meet regularly throughout Winter and Spring 2022. At the end of the Spring term, fellows will present their Action Plans and outcomes to the OSU STEM community at the 2021-2022 IE at OSU Spring Showcase.
Following the IE Academy, Inclusive Excellence Fellows participate in a two-term (or more, as desired!) professional learning community (PLC). To support the PLC, fellows will:
IE at OSU is open to faculty members who:
Faculty from the regional community colleges are encouraged to apply with colleagues as a team; however, we ask that each member of the team submit their own application. If you have questions about this option, please contact Holly Cho (inclusiveexcellence@oregonstate.edu).
In addition to support from the IE team to develop and implement action plans, IE at OSU Fellows will receive or have access to modest financial support.
Fellows are expected to:
Applications are due May 3rd, 2021 via Qualtrics survey:
Complete the application here.
You will be asked in the survey application to upload an application statement (.pdf format, 1000-word limit) to address the following:
We also ask that you provide us with a letter of support from your department chair or head. A template for this letter is available here. E-signatures are acceptable. Letters should be uploaded in the Qualtrics application. If you have any concerns about getting a letter of support, please let us know.
Applications will be reviewed by the IE at OSU leadership team. Selection criteria include: (1) evidence of readiness to work for Inclusive Excellence; (2) potential to “substantially and sustainably increase capacity for inclusion of all students, especially those students who belong to groups underrepresented in science”; and (3) distribution of Fellows across disciplines and institutions.
The Inclusive Excellence team is intentional about modeling inclusive practices in the work that we do. Although this fellowship will ask a lot of you, we want you to be able to bring your whole self to the program. We understand that sometimes it is not possible to fulfill simultaneously the obligations of your personal and professional lives, and are happy to accommodate any needs that arise.
We are also committed to accommodating the needs of any Fellow with disabilities. If you will need accommodations, please indicate as such on the application survey.
Applicants are encouraged to contact Program Coordinator, Holly Cho (inclusiveexcellence@oregonstate.edu) with any questions.