The Division of Diversity and Engagement partners with campus faculty, staff, students, and administrators to intentionally create positive and inclusive learning and work experiences for communities both internal and external to the University of Tennessee. We achieve this through bold advocacy for initiatives that promote civility and accountability, enhance cultural competency, and advance best practices that support equal access to resources and opportunities.

Our vision for the University of Tennessee is to create an inclusive and respectful campus environment where students, staff, faculty, and community stakeholders are valued, respected, and can thrive in a global community. We do this through our core set of values that includes: Diversity and Inclusion, Mattering and Belonging, Equity, Collaboration, Integrity, and Leadership.

In order to promote the university’s mission to foster a welcoming campus for all Vols, Deans of the eleven academic colleges are eligible to apply for up to $10,000 in funding through the Office for Diversity and Engagement’s Academic Diversity Initiative designed to support Faculty Diversity Directors, College Diversity Committees, or Other College Diversity Initiatives.

To facilitate progress on the University of Tennessee’s commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive campus climate, the initiative is designed to advance efforts at the college level in one or more of the following areas:

• Strategic planning through diversity action plans;
• Gauging and fostering a more inclusive campus climate;
• Diverse student recruitment, advancement, and retention efforts;
• Diverse faculty recruitment, advancement, and retention efforts;
• Developing an inclusive curriculum that privileges anti-bias materials and intersectionality, etc.

To apply for the initiative, please develop a proposal that responds to the general intention of building a climate that is welcoming and inclusive.

---