INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE AT UA
Statement about Diversity
ÐÓ°®°É affirms the importance and value of diversity within the student body, and among our faculty, staff, administration and governing Board of Trustees. Our university values and respects the humanity of every individual from every background, and we embrace the diversity that defines UA and has so profoundly enriched our community.
Discrimination against any individual based upon protected status, which is defined as age, color, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, pregnancy status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status, is prohibited. Our educational programs, curricula and activities reflect our multicultural society and global economy and endeavor to provide opportunities for students to learn more about persons who are different from themselves. We are committed to maintaining a community that recognizes, values, supports and validates the inherent worth and dignity of every person; fosters sensitivity, understanding, and mutual respect among each member of our community; and encourages each individual to strive to reach his or her fullest potential. We are likewise committed to expanding opportunity to include those historically or presently marginalized or excluded.
Respect for Diversity: It is the intent that all community members from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well served by all programs, courses and activities within the learning and working environment of the University of Akron, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this institution be viewed as a resource, strength and benefit. We encourage all members of the UA community to continue to engage respectfully in debates surrounding our differing ideas, beliefs and value systems. The faculty, staff and administration, as educators, are committed to serving students with the intention that the programs and activities are respectful of diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. The learning environment is deliberately intended to be a safe space for all, and instances of microaggressions, insensitivity or discrimination will be addressed.
UA President Gary L. Miller has emboldened us to practice ways we can support each other in an environment that embraces diversity and inclusivity stating, “Our very survival as a democratic society depends on our willingness to work toward, and achieve, equality for all.”