Inclusive Excellence
cci equity and inclusion vision
The College of Computing and Informatics at UNC Charlotte strives for equity and inclusion in computing and beyond. The College is committed to creating an environment that:
- Expands and engages the participation of students, faculty, and staff that traditionally have not entered the computing field
- Promotes the success of all of our students
- Promotes the professional success of all members of all our faculty and staff
The College is driven by three declared values, the first of which is: To acknowledge inequity and do everything in our power to address it.
Indigenous land acknowledgements
A land acknowledgement is a statement used to recognize and affirm the long-lasting relationship between indigenous Peoples and their traditional land while also highlighting Indigenous histories and experiences. Here is UNC Charlotte’s Indigenous Land and People Acknowledgment:
“With respect to the land and people who preceded us, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte acknowledges that we are on colonized land traditionally belonging to the Catawba, Cheraw, Sugeree, Wateree, and Waxhaw Peoples, all of whom have stewarded this land throughout the generations. Before this land was colonized and named the city of Charlotte, it was used as a place of meeting and trade by a diverse group of Indigenous peoples, including the Catawba, Cherokee, Congaree, and Saponi. We also acknowledge that the greater Charlotte region has directly profited from the enslavement and forced labor of African people and their descendants. We recognize that knowing, acknowledging, and honoring the history of the land and the people is only the first step. We must support and listen to Indigenous and Black voices, while continuing to address the policies and practices that perpetuate oppression.”
We acknowledge inequity
Identifying, understanding, and documenting the many facets of inequity is essential to addressing it. The following projects contribute to the College’s every-day effort to identify, understand, and document inequity:
Monitoring experience of our students, faculty, and staff
The College of Computing and Informatics is a member of the Computing Research Association (CRA) and participates in its annual Data Buddy survey. Undergraduate computing students: “Overall, I am satisfied with the computing program at my institution,” where (1) Strongly disagree – (5) Strongly agree.
The College participates in the APLU Student Experience Project, the goal of which is to improve the students’ experience – especially for under-represented groups. A baseline survey on climate and experience is run in 2019-2020.
Monitoring the success of our students
Understanding the inequity of experience. CCI creates and promotes several regular opportunities for deepening our awareness and understanding of inequity. For example:
- College and department forums share data illustrating inequity of experience and discuss it.
- Starting in 2019, the college began hosting a leadership retreat for student organizations’ leadership teams.
- A calendar of faculty and staff professional development opportunities is published every fall. Faculty and staff are encouraged to incorporate these in their annual professional development.
We do everything in our power to address inequity.