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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Our Commitment

The diversity of students, faculty and staff at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications has been a source of innovation, excellence and leadership throughout our history.

Today Medill continues its commitment to creating an inclusive environment and to providing equity in opportunities regarding research, teaching, administration and student services. Medill is dedicated to creating a socially just community by strengthening policies, developing programs, and fostering acceptance for a broad range of communities and concepts. We aim to welcome students, staff and faculty from diverse backgrounds and support them so they may thrive in our community.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are also essential to the professional skills we teach in preparing our students for careers in media.

The Importance of DEI for Journalists

Professional journalists routinely seek to include a balanced range of voices and perspectives in their reporting – often reflecting two or more sides to a story, especially in the coverage of sensitive or controversial stories.

Equally vital is diversity among the journalists who gather news and decide how to present it. The more diverse their backgrounds, the more probing coverage can be.

Including a range of voices and backgrounds among sources and journalists themselves can effectively inform audiences on a deeper level. This can spur constructive action and positive social change, and it has the potential to encourage diversity, inclusion and acceptance in society as a whole.

The Importance of DEI for Integrated Marketing Communications Professionals

Understanding consumers is key to integrated marketing communications. In an increasingly global and complex society, marketers strive to develop deep knowledge of and insight into the perspectives of diverse markets and cultures.

By considering the range of values, backgrounds, and identities of an audience, marketing communications professionals help clients maximize the relevance of their brands in the global marketplace by developing products and services that respond to diverse interests and stakeholders. An inclusive and comprehensive understanding of consumers enables marketers to communicate with audiences directly and engage them meaningfully.

Diverse perspectives among marketing communications professionals themselves is also important. Diversified teams that honor each member’s unique contributions and collaborate with mutual respect are in turn better able to engage and communicate with consumers who have a wide range of interests and perspectives.

Land Acknowldegement

We recognize and acknowledge that Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications sits on the land of multiple Native nations. We acknowledge and honor the original peoples of the Chicagoland area - the Three Fires Confederacy, Potawatomi, Odawa and Ojibwe Nations, as well as other Tribal Nations that know this area as their ancestral homeland, including the Menominee, Ho-Chunk, Miami, Peoria, and Sac and Fox.

These lands were the traditional birthright of Indigenous peoples who were forcibly removed and who have faced two centuries of struggle for survival and identity in the wake of dispossession. We acknowledge the ground on which we stand so that all who come here know that we recognize our responsibilities to the peoples of that land and that we strive to address that history so that it guides our work in the present and the future.

We further acknowledge that this land is the current home to one of the largest urban Native American communities in the United States. Native people are part of Chicago and Evanston's past, present, and future, and it is our responsibility to acknowledge these Nations and to work with them as we move forward as a more inclusive institution.

Our Commitment and Resources

DEI Leadership

Robert Brown joins Medill as director of diversity, equity, inclusion and outreach

Diversity and Media Experts

View Diversity and Media Experts

Affinity-based Media Organizations

View Affinity-based Media Organizations

Awards

View Awards

DEI Programming

Today Medill continues its commitment to creating an inclusive environment and to providing equity in opportunities regarding research, teaching, administration and student services.

View Medill's DEI programming on YouTube

Veteran Journalists Discuss Their Coverage of the Quest for Civil Rights and Social Justice

This Medill Black History Month panel discussion is led by Dean Charles Whitaker. The panelists are all Medill alumni: John Eligon (BSJ04), national correspondent covering race for The New York Times; Will Jones (BSJ06), race and culture reporter at ABC 7 Chicago; Natalie Moore (MSJ99), author and reporter for WBEZ Radio in Chicago; and Robert Samuels (BSJ06), national political enterprise reporter for The Washington Post.

WatcH The quest for civil rights and social justice

Damon Jones: Beyond Toothpaste and Toilet Paper

Damon Jones, Chief Communications Officer of Procter & Gamble came to speak to the Northwestern Community about P&G's DEI efforts.

Watch Beyond Toothpaste and Toilet Paper

Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities

View MSJ Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities

View IMCFT Scholarship Opportunities

Campus Resources

Resource	Office	Audience	Description
Accessibility	Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance	Faculty Staff Students	Northwestern University is committed to ensuring its campus, facilities, programs and activities are as accessible as possible to persons with disabilities.
AccessibleNU	Student Affairs	Faculty Students	Northwestern University and AccessibleNU are committed to providing a supportive and challenging environment for all undergraduate, graduate, professional school, and professional studies students with disabilities who attend the University. We work to provide students with disabilities a learning environment that affords them full participation, equal access, and reasonable accommodation.
Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT)	Campus Inclusion and Community (CIC)	Students	The Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT) is a group of administrators who are committed to creating a proactive response to instances of hate and bias. When a student reports a bias/hate incident through RespectNU one of the BIRT members will support the student, connect them with the appropriate resources, and follow-up with them until the situation has been resolved.
BIPOC Support Circle	Student Affairs	Students	The BIPOC Support Circle is a discussion and community space for BIPOC identified students seeking a supportive and brave space to gather, develop a sense of connection, and experience collective and individual healing. Open to all NU students on both campuses.
Campus Inclusion and Community (CIC)	Student Affairs	Students	Making NU a place where students are safe and feel a sense of belonging to the university. It is comprised of three offices: Multicultural Student Affairs, Social Justice Education, and Student Enrichment Services.
Change Makers	Institutional Diversity & Inclusion	Faculty Staff	The program is designed to supplement participants’ professional development and their ongoing commitments to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion here at Northwestern.
Coffee Talk: Connecting and Growing Across Cultures	Student Affairs	Students	Coffee Talk is a year-round gathering space tailored for international students, students who have international experiences, or those who are interested in international students’ experiences. Both undergrad and grad students are welcome!
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)	Student Affairs	Students	The Evanston CAPS office provides a variety of services for full-time/degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate students whose programs are located on Northwestern University’s Evanston Campus.
Faculty Awards for Excellence in Diversity and Equity	Office of the Provost	Faculty	To recognize faculty exemplars who are working collaboratively to build a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable climate at Northwestern.
Faculty Career Development Programs	Office of the Provost	Faculty	The Office of the Provost offers a variety of programs to provide faculty the tools they need to do their best work. These programs and workshops are designed to enhance faculty career success and satisfaction.
Faculty Diversity and Excellence	Office of the Provost	Faculty	Our initiatives are designed to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects—including, but not limited to race/ethnicity, and gender, as well as disability, sexual orientation, and gender expression and identity.
Faculty Pathways Initiative	Office of the Provost	Faculty	The Provost is launching a Faculty Pathways Initiative in the fall of 2019 to enhance faculty growth and development across all career stages from postbaccalaureate through senior faculty. This aspirational plan, developed with input from the Northwestern community, outlines a cohesive, systematic, and innovative approach to heightening faculty excellence, enhancing diversity, and promoting inclusion on all of our campuses.
Gender Inclusive Initiatives	Institutional Diversity & Inclusion	Faculty Staff Students	Gender Inclusive Initiatives at Northwestern are a campus-wide effort led by the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion (OIDI), the Women’s Center, the Gender and Sexuality Studies Program and Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA) to increase access to resources and support for our gender diverse students, faculty, and staff.
Grants for Innovation in Diversity and Equity	Office of the Provost	Faculty	To fund novel and innovative faculty projects that will enhance our academic enterprise through improving diversity and inclusivity at Northwestern.
Guidelines for Faculty Search	Office of the Provost	Faculty	The diversity and excellence of our faculty is critical to Northwestern University’s position as a leading research and teaching university. The University appoints the strongest possible candidates to its faculty, individuals who show outstanding potential or accomplishment in scholarship, research, and creative work and who meet similarly high standards in their teaching. By attracting diverse and exemplary teachers and scholars with a variety of backgrounds and perspectives, the institution strives to create an inclusive environment that fosters personal and intellectual growth.
Inclusive Language Guide	Global Marketing and Communication	Faculty Staff Students	This guide serves as a resource for all members of the Northwestern community, especially those in roles of University communicators. Its goal is to encourage educated choices on the use of language that is inclusive and free of bias. Our language —whether written, spoken or visual —should be historically accurate, relevant, empowering and respectful.
Inclusive Teaching at Northwestern	Office of the Provost	Faculty	Developed for Northwestern instructors by Northwestern partners in the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching, the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, and the Office of the Provost. This document is part of an effort to create a set of educational opportunities and resources for instructors that will help us establish more inclusive teaching and learning environments across campus. The document provides both theoretical principles and practical suggestions that are relevant across disciplines and classroom formats, including remote and in-person.
Land Acknowledgement	Native American and Indigenous Initiatives	Faculty Staff Students	A Land Acknowledgement is a formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of this land and the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories.
Multicultural Student Affairs	Student Affairs	Students	Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA) enriches the cultural experience of Northwestern through leadership and education programming; providing opportunities for community engagement and identity expression; and assisting students in navigating the University.
Native American and Indigenous Initiatives	Office of the Provost	Faculty Staff Students	Northwestern is a community of learners situated within a network of historical and contemporary relationships with Native American tribes, communities, parents, students, and alumni. At Northwestern, we seek to create spaces where Native American and Indigenous people are heard, their identities are honored, and they can be successful members of Northwestern as well as good tribal and community citizens.
Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance		Faculty Staff Students	The Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance works to create a culture of access, belonging and accountability for all Northwestern community members. That includes supporting those impacted by discrimination, harassment, or sexual misconduct and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities.
Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion	Office of the Provost	Faculty Staff Students	To realize an ideal Northwestern University where community members are challenged to engage differences as strengths in an environment that ensures equality of access, opportunity, representation and participation.
Office of International Student and Scholar Services	Buffett Institute for Global Affairs	Students	The Office of International Student and Scholar Services provides advising services and supportive programs to Northwestern’s international students and scholars.
Office of Religious and Spiritual Life	Student Affairs	Faculty Staff Students	To support the quest for meaning and purpose through exploration, practice, and growth in our religiously diverse and inclusive communities.
Organization of Women Faculty		Faculty	Founded in 1981, the Northwestern University Organization of Women Faculty (OWF) has long been a national leader in its efforts to improve conditions in higher education for women faculty and graduate students. Both an advocacy group and a networking resource, the OWF offers women faculty at all institutional levels an opportunity to be heard and to help shape University policy.
Searle Center Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion	Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching	Faculty	At the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching, we support university-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, particularly those that relate to cultivating inclusive learning environments in which students from all backgrounds can succeed.
Sexual Misconduct Response & Prevention	Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance	Faculty Staff Students	The Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance oversees the University's response to sexual misconduct matters at Northwestern. As part of its work, the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance publishes and distributes the University's Policy on Institutional Equity and the Interim Policy on Title IX Sexual Harassment; educates members of the Northwestern community about sexual misconduct and the University's policies; responds to all reports of sexual misconduct; investigates complaints of violations of policy, and works with other relevant offices to resolve complaints.
Social Justice Education	Student Affairs	Students	Social Justice Education (SJE) creates co-curricular educational opportunities in partnership with our student community that foster self-exploration, facilitate conversations across difference and support actions that create social change on campus.
Staff Affinity Groups	Institutional Diversity & Inclusion	Staff	Staff are valued members of the Northwestern community.  The University actively strives to attract and retain a diverse and exemplary staff workforce.  The Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion supports various affinity groups which aim to enhance the personal and professional development of staff, foster a sense of community and help Northwestern create a workplace where everyone feels belonging and thrives.
Student Enrichment Services	Student Affairs	Students	Student Enrichment Services (SES) works with low-income and/or first-generation students to enhance their academic success, personal development, and professional growth. SES also serves DACA, undocumented students. Through campus-wide partnerships, SES builds an inclusive Northwestern community by engaging students and their allies with programming and dialogue around the low-income and/or first-generation experience.
Student Veterans' Resources	Student Affairs	Students	Northwestern is committed to serving the men and women that served their country.
Task Forces	Institutional Diversity & Inclusion	Faculty Staff Students	Social Justice Task Force Gender-Queer, Non-Binary, Transgender Task Force Native American Outreach and Inclusion Task Force
The Graduate School (TGS) Office of Diversity and Inclusion	The Graduate School	Students	The Graduate School (TGS) promotes a transformative educational experience for graduate students and postdoctoral trainees at Northwestern University. The Graduate School’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) focuses on the recruitment and support of underrepresented populations to foster an inclusive environment and facilitate community engagement. We are committed to the personal and intellectual growth of our diverse student population.
Undergraduate Student Lifecycle	Office of the Provost	Students	In an effort to better enable undergraduate students who identify solely or jointly across first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented minority (URM) identities, Provost Jonathan Holloway has sponsored a multi-phase initiative to develop a strategy and framework for a continuum of support for these students.
Underrepresented Minority Faculty Professional Development Grants	Office of the Provost	Faculty	The Underrepresented Minority Faculty Professional Development Grant Program is intended to supplement school support for underrepresented minority faculty members’ professional development opportunities as it relates to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
University Reports	Institutional Diversity & Inclusion	Faculty Staff Students	The Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion publishes annual reports on the progress of Northwestern’s numerous initiatives to increase the diversity of our community and efforts to ensure an inclusive and welcoming environment.
Women’s Center	Institutional Diversity & Inclusion	Faculty Staff Students	The Women's Center is committed to advancing women, gender equity, and inclusion through engaging the Northwestern University community.  As catalysts for change, we foster the development of individual and collective strengths to cultivate socially responsible students, staff, and faculty.
Work-Life Resources	Office of the Provost	Faculty Staff	Northwestern is committed to ensuring that new and continuing faculty members have the information and resources they need to acclimate to Northwestern and succeed in their careers. The Offices of the Provost and of Work/Life and Family Resources can help all faculty navigate life's opportunities and challenges for you to be your best at work and at home. From the Faculty Family Leave Policy and childcare and eldercare benefits to the Faculty Wellness Program, our policies and resources support faculty excellence, career satisfaction and well-being.

Community Stories

Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion does not occur in silos or within a single event or course. Medill continues its commitment to creating an inclusive environment and to providing equity in opportunities regarding research, teaching, administration and student services. Medill is dedicated to creating a socially just community by strengthening policies, developing programs, and fostering acceptance for a broad range of communities and concepts. We aim to welcome students, staff and faculty from diverse backgrounds and support them so they may thrive in our community.