Program in Ancient Studies Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Indiana University, Bloomington

The IU Program in Ancient Studies is committed to promoting respect for human diversity, inclusivity in teaching and research, and the encouragement of all voices to make themselves heard. We see antiquity to be diverse, and diversity itself as diverse; there is no single antiquity but many ranging from China to India to Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. Our program draws on and seeks to coordinate studies between students and scholars from a variety of backgrounds, with a variety of specializations, who bring a variety of perspectives. We believe that expressions of gender, race, heritage, class, and ethnicity are fundamental to this pedagogical endeavor as well as to the understanding of antiquity in all its fullness, richness and complexity. We believe that the future of our discipline depends on a diverse constituency and we strive to contribute to that future with our teaching, our policies, and our projects.

Specifically, we aspire to:

· Ensure equity and access across the broad range of our research, teaching, and co-curricular activities;

· Maintain a culture in which all students, faculty, and staff feel welcome, regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability status, socioeconomic status, immigration status, and other forms of difference, and;

· Value myriad and differing intellectual contributions, political and ideological views, and lived experiences for their capacity to enrich the learning process and contribute to the College’s and the university’s success.

To retain its leadership role, we must include all who comprise our university community and foster a campus climate in which diverse influences are respected and valued. We oppose discrimination based on arbitrary consideration of such characteristics as age, citizenship, color, disability, ethnicity, familial obligations, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, national origin or ancestry, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, or veteran status.

This commitment to diversity extends beyond a set of ideas or nondiscrimination policies; we actively strive to promote diversity, expand access, create a safe and supportive environment, and foster a community that embraces and celebrates all groups.

02/01/2021