EHHS Equity and Social Justice Initiatives
College of Education, Health and Human Sciences (EHHS) works toward excellence in innovative and scholarly engagement that cultivates justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our practice.
The members of the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences community are committed to providing and nurturing an educational climate dedicated to equity and social justice. Our commitments to equity and social justice build on our college’s conceptual framework (Cultural proficiency, Assessment teaching and learning, Reflective scholarship and practice, and Engagement in community building and partnership) and extend its foundation by making explicit our commitment to improving the experiences and outcomes of those historically underserved and currently marginalized. As a land grant public institution of higher education, we recognize that integrating diversity and inclusion practices through an equity and social justice lens is essential to our core mission. Such practices help us transform our college to recognize and address injustice and inequalities in practices and policies that have disparate impacts on the lives of those we serve. Our beliefs align with the University of Idaho Diversity Plan (UI diversity plan), the UI Ubuntu diversity resolution (UI Ubuntu resolution), and the UI Labor Acknowledgment (UI African American Labor Acknowledgment). Our commitment to equity and social justice requires an ongoing active and engaged participation to advocate for concrete institutional transformation, which is measured by material and ideological change.
Values:
- Recognition of Indigenous heritage: We acknowledge that our institution stands on Indigenous homelands (Nimiipu, Schitsu’umsh, Newe, Numu and Ktunaxa), that Indigenous peoples remain active stewards of their lands, and that we must recognize the violence of Indigenous land dispossession and actively work to counter Indigenous erasure from our college, campus, and region.
- Respect of intersectionality: We value and honor the diverse intersectionality of our community and world (e.g.., racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, linguistic, sexual, gender, socio-economic, disability, and age).
- Equitable power dynamics: We recognize that all relationships include dynamic power structures, and we are committed to changing systems, organizational structures, policies, practices, and attitudes, so that power is redistributed and shared equitably.
- Cultivation of transformation: We acknowledge the transformative nature of education, and therefore, we strive to utilize the strengths that UI students possess as assets in the classroom that contribute to reflective and engaged practice.
- Recognition of marginalization and commitment to systemic change: We understand that systemic policies, traditions, and laws along with personal beliefs, experiences and attitudes impact equitable opportunity for all. Hence, we must actively work towards deconstructing the ways in which institutions perpetuate the oppression of all identities.
EHHS equity and social justice work is facilitated by a working group consisting of faculty, staff, administrators, and graduate students from every unit within the college. If you are interested in joining the working group, please contact Dr. Aleksandra Hollingshead, Associate Dean of Inclusion (ahollingshead@uidaho.edu; 208‑885‑0629).