Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Department of Political Science Statement
The Political Science Department’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is based on the University’s diversity and inclusion principles:
● Respect the dignity of every person.
● Build a Notre Dame community in which all can flourish.
● Live in solidarity with all, particularly the most vulnerable.
These commitments take on even greater urgency in light of their rootedness in Catholic teaching and social thought. They accord with our University’s Catholic commitment—and the commitment of Catholic Church teachings—to love and respect each human being, endowed with irrevocable dignity as a child of God.
The Department of Political Science is committed to affirming a broad-based understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion, thereby establishing and maintaining a climate that values our faculty, students, and staff and supports their goals and the mission of the Department and the University. We view diversity in the broadest terms to include gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, disabilities, socioeconomic background, sexual orientation, and a host of other personal realities with which individuals may identify. We also place a premium on intellectual and viewpoint diversity, valuing a variety of theoretical, epistemological, and methodological approaches. We endorse academic freedom and the open debate and expression of diverse viewpoints in the search for truth. Tolerance of a wide range of intellectual and political perspectives is necessary in a genuinely diverse academic community.
We are committed to creating and maintaining a climate supportive of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Doing so promotes an environment of intellectual curiosity, the open exchange of ideas, and acquisition of knowledge and understanding about people and issues within and outside of the academic setting. Diversity, equity, and inclusion enhance the education and training of students to pursue careers in diverse work settings and enhance the environment in which faculty teach and conduct research.