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College of Humanities
Belonging: Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity & Inclusion Committee Mission Statement

In response to the persistent plague of racism and racial discrimination throughout the United States, President Russell M. Nelson called upon members of the Church in 2020 to follow divine guidance and “lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice.” President Dallin H. Oaks added to this call, insisting that “we must do better to help root out racism.” Brigham Young University has responded to these calls as well as to the calls of voices from within our own campus community pleading that more be done to support black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC); Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities; Latinx communities; and other minority and marginalized students, faculty, and staff. The February 2021 report released by the BYU Committee on Race, Equity, & Belonging was a necessary step in rooting out racism and other forms of discrimination and fostering a more inclusive and equitable environment on campus. The College of Humanities lauds this report and the conversations it has initiated, but we also recognize that it is only a beginning. There is much work to be done, and we state our unwavering commitment to lead out and do better in this essential and divinely-inspired work. As humanists, we value and diligently seek to understand the diversity of human experience as reflected, explored, and examined in the languages, literatures, histories, and cultures of the world. We are, in this respect, uniquely equipped to create a more inclusive environment within the College and the campus community more broadly. In working toward this, the Diversity & Inclusion committee will address racism, promote equity, and enhance belonging within the College of Humanities by:

  •  Creating opportunities for BIPOC, AAPI, Latinx, and minority and marginalized faculty and students to build stronger relationships with one another;
  • Improving mentoring for BIPOC, AAPI, Latinx, and minority and marginalized faculty to strengthen their sense of community within the College and ensure they successfully achieve their professional goals;
  • Improving advising practices for BIPOC, AAPI, Latinx, and minority and marginalized students to ensure their needs are being met, goals achieved, and are aware of opportunities within the college;
  • Promoting awareness and understanding of the role of language in both perpetuating and combatting discrimination at BYU;
  • Debunking stereotypes about BIPOC, AAPI, Latinx, and minority and marginalized individuals and communities;
  • Evaluating and improving recruiting and hiring practices to ensure we build a more inclusive faculty that better reflects the diversity of our disciplines, our students, and the global Latter-day Saint community;
  • Guiding and inspiring majority white faculty, staff, and students to self-evaluate and humbly accept the responsibilities of abandoning prejudice, rooting out racism, and changing the culture of our College and campus to be truly inclusive, welcoming, and defined by Christ-like love for all of God’s childre