Equity & Inclusion

Equity, Inclusion, and the EPS Mission

Research, education, and service in EPS are driven by a fundamental human curiosity about the past, present, and future of Earth and other planets. We underpin our intellectual mission with a comprehensive dedication to equity, accessibility, and inclusion for all.

    —EPS Department Mission Statement, adopted July 6, 2020

UC Berkeley’s Principles of Community affirm our commitment to free speech, equitable access, mission impact, diversity, and excellence.  These Principles also guide interpersonal interactions in the EPS community so that we place honesty, integrity, civility, and respect at the highest level in our teaching, learning, and research.  We strive to uphold a just community in which discrimination and hate are not tolerated.

The University of California recognizes that “the diversity of the people of California has been the source of innovative ideas and creative accomplishments throughout the state’s history into the present”, as expressed in Regents Policy 4400.  In EPS, we actively support the effort of the UC Regents to advance diversity and equal opportunity in education and research, acknowledging the need to remove barriers to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of people from historically excluded, underrepresented populations.

EPS Initiatives

  • Our students, faculty, and research staff engage in a broad range of science outreach efforts, bringing science education and mentoring to community colleges, K-12 students, and others in our local Bay Area community.
  • Our faculty work to make science accessible to all through scientific, professional, and other non-profit societies and institutions including the American Geophysical Union, the Geological Society of America, the American Meteorological Society, and the National Academies.
  • Faculty, students, and postdocs engaged in the Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE) initiative, creating some of this national initiative’s content. The deliverables of the participants were incorporated into the EPS strategic plan for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and were summarized in an AGU presentation.
  • We provide field equipment and outdoor wear for those who need financial help to engage in geoscience education and experiences. If you are a student in need of financial help or accommodations to fully participate in field components of an EPS course, please contact epsua@berkeley.edu
  • We evaluate applicants to our graduate program and faculty positions using a systematic process that guards against conflicts of interest and discrimination.  The EPS faculty equity advisor is involved in every graduate admissions and faculty hiring decision, as well as associated recruiting.  These practices advance University efforts to remove barriers to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of people from historically excluded, underrepresented populations while complying with state and federal law.
  • We facilitate mentoring programs for undergraduate students, graduate students, and junior faculty, providing coaching and guidance to help people from all backgrounds succeed.  
  • We ensure that we have a diverse collection of colloquium speakers, bringing a broad spectrum of scientists from across the world into the Berkeley community.
  • Graduate students who participate in teaching—our Graduate Student Instructors—are all required to take a pedagogy course, providing training and resources that help them educate UC Berkeley’s diverse undergraduate population.
  • We continue to celebrate the 150th anniversary (October 3, 2020) of the UC Regents’ landmark decision to admit women to the university on the same terms as men. See our Women of EPS page for more details.
  • We provide structured career-development training for our students, ensuring that all students, regardless of background, have access to the tools needed to launch a successful career and use their EPS degree to its full potential.
  • A formal EPS Equity Committee meets monthly, with student, staff, and faculty representatives working to advance departmental goals in equity, accessibility, and related areas (see below)
  • We acknowledge and disavow the racist views of the founder of our department, Joseph LeConte
  • We celebrate the career of Berkeley Prof. Clyde Wahrhaftig, who in 1971 became the first chair of the Geological Society of America’s committee for Minority Participation in the Earth Sciences.  In accepting a Distinguished Career Award from the GSA in 1989, he came out of the closet to help advance an “intelligent, open, and compassionate attitude” toward LGBT scientists and to show that students shouldn’t “think being gay and being a geologist are incompatible.”
  • Thanks to our dedicated cohort of EPS graduate students and in partnership with the Earth Sciences & Map Library, we provide a Library Guide with suggestions on how to increase and improve equity and inclusion in the geosciences.

The above list documents only some of our activities, and we encourage you to join us in our efforts to broaden education and advance science.

Get Involved

We need the help of everyone in our community to advance our goal of achieving equity, accessibility, and inclusion for all. If you would like to contribute to our efforts or have any questions please contact the EPS Equity Committee or the Faculty Equity Advisor, as described below.

The EPS Equity Committee

A group of seven EPS community members meets monthly to advance departmental goals in equity, accessibility, and related areas.  The committee consists of representatives from each of our constituencies, including undergraduate students, graduate students, postdocs & research scientists, staff, and faculty.  If you have any concerns, requests, ideas, or would simply like to talk, please feel welcome (even encouraged!) to reach out to people on this committee.
Members:

The committee includes people from a diverse set of backgrounds and identities, and they work to represent the interests of all members of the EPS community.  Please get in touch if you have a concern, idea, or would like to get involved.

Faculty Equity Advisor

Every Berkeley department has a Faculty Equity Advisor who helps ensure that equity and inclusion are considered while advancing the academic mission.  In addition to working within their own departments, the Equity Advisors work across campus to share strategies and collaborate on common challenges. They are involved in faculty recruitment, graduate student admission and advancement, and strategic planning.  William Boos is the EPS Faculty Equity Advisor.

Resources for EPS Members

The EPS Department aims to make our research and educational opportunities accessible to all, and to enforce the University’s policies against harassment, discrimination, bullying, and other forms of intolerance.  All of our community members are encouraged to contact any of the members of the Equity Committee or the Faculty Equity Advisor, listed above, to report concerns or seek help.  There is also a wealth of support resources available through the university:

The above list of resources is far from comprehensive.  Berkeley’s Division of Equity and Inclusion has information about a range of other support.

Reporting Other Concerns

We welcome and encourage you to reach out directly to the EPS Equity Committee, the Faculty Equity Advisor, or any of our departmental leadership (see above contact details).  However, if you wish to convey your concerns anonymously, you may use this Anonymous Virtual Comment Box, which is directed to the EPS Department Chair, Department Manager, and Faculty Equity Advisor. You may want to complete the form while your browser is in incognito mode for greater assurance of anonymity.  Concerns regarding sexual violence or harassment, abusive workplace conduct, and other issues may also be reported to the offices listed above.