Diversity – which is expressed in myriad forms, including race and ethnicity, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, language, culture, national origin, religious commitments, age, (dis)ability status, and political perspective.
Equity – is about fairness; an awareness of and a willingness to remove systemic and institutional barriers, and provide inclusive resources.
Inclusion – pursuing deliberate efforts to ensure that our campus is a place where differences are welcomed, different perspectives are respectfully heard, and where every individual feels a sense of belonging and inclusion.
Privilege – rights, advantages, or immunities granted or available only to a dominant identity group.
Oppression – prolonged unjust or cruel treatment or control of an identity group for the purpose of maintaining the supremacy of another identity group.
Discrimination – making a judgment in favor of or against a person or thing based on a perceived identity group.
Prejudice – thoughts, feelings and actions that demonstrate hatred or dislike of someone based on social identity.
Implicit Bias – unconscious and relatively automatic thoughts, feelings and actions that are prejudiced in nature.
Explicit Bias – conscious, overt and deliberate thoughts, feelings and actions that are prejudiced in nature.
White Supremacy – an ideology centered on and promoting the belief that white people are superior in certain characteristics and traits to non-white people, which reinforces the belief that white people should rule.
Racism – a system of oppression that maintains white supremacy through dominant attitudes and practices. Racism is privilege + power + prejudice.
Sexism – a system of oppression that seeks to maintain patriarchy through dominant practices and attitudes.
Ableism – practices and dominant attitudes that devalue and limit the potential of individuals who are differently abled.
Classism – a system of oppression that seeks to keep social and economic power and resources in the dominant/owning class.
Xenophobia – fear or hatred of “other.”
Islamophobia – fear, prejudice, hatred or dislike of Islam, Islamic cultural practices and norms, and Muslims.
Homophobia – fear or hatred of Lesbian and Gay people.
Transphobia – fear or hatred of Transgender people.
Patriarchy – a social system in which males hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property.
Rape culture – practices and dominant attitudes where sexual violence is pervasive and normalized due to societal attitudes about gender and sexuality.
Heteronormativity – the assumption that all people are heterosexual.
Sex – a person’s biological physical, chromosomal, and hormonal characteristics usually assigned at birth (for example female, male intersex).
Gender – a person’s internal sense of self relative to their biology and societal standards for masculinity and femininity. (for example woman, man, transgender).
Cisgender – a person whose sex assigned at birth aligns with their internal sense of self.
Transgender – a person whose sex assigned at birth does not align with their internal sense of self.