JSG Community Commitment & Resources

The Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin is steadfast in our commitment to fostering a diverse community of scientists and lifelong learners and to providing an equitable and enriching educational and research experience for every member of our community.

Our commitment is rooted in the belief that the geosciences, and all other academic and intellectual pursuits, are stronger when they are inclusive of people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Therefore, we strongly believe that increasing the diversity of the Jackson School’s faculty, workforce, student body and educational programs is critical to meeting and maintaining the high academic and research standards that we hold ourselves to, and that are expected of a world-class geosciences institution.

We are committed to being a welcoming place where students, faculty, scientists, and staff of all cultures, races and ethnicities, genders, political and religious beliefs, physical and learning differences, and sexual orientations and identities, can thrive. Building a diverse and welcoming environment is an integral part of achieving our goals of educating the geosciences leaders of tomorrow and conducting impactful research that can help solve many of society’s greatest challenges.

 Title IX Resources

• Title IX support, resources and reporting

Campus Resources

From the University of Texas at Austin Division of Diversity and Community Engagement

• Division of Diversity and Community Engagement (DDCE)
  DDCE cultivates an inclusive campus culture that actively and intentionally engages diverse people, ideas, and perspectives to create a vibrant learning and working environment. DDCE accomplishes this by sustaining and advancing efforts to develop a pervasive culture of inclusion in all facets of life at The University of Texas at Austin. By breaking down barriers and challenging injustices, DDCE transforms campus culture to one in which all individuals draw strength from the university’s collective diversity. This transformation fosters success and a greater sense of belonging and respect.

• Inclusive Classrooms
  The Inclusive Classrooms Leadership Certificate Seminar engages groups of university instructors (faculty, teaching assistants, assistant instructors, etc.) in discussions about strategies for developing and sustaining an inclusive classroom climate where all feel supported and encouraged.

• First-Gen Longhorns
  The DDCE First Generation Initiative helps students who are the first in their families to attend or finish college by connecting them with a robust support network comprised of prominent first-gen UT alumni, staff, faculty and friends to ensure a positive college experience.

• Gender and Sexuality Center
  The GSC provides opportunities for all members of the UT Austin community to explore, organize, and promote learning around issues of gender and sexuality.

• Multicultural Engagement Center
  The MEC educates and empowers students to be leaders and agents of social change. Through activities and education, the MEC transforms lives by providing diverse educational opportunities and support services for students.

• Services for Students with Disabilities
  SSD determines eligibility and helps implement reasonable accommodation for students with disabilities, while also engaging in outreach across UT Austin in order to make the campus a more inclusive, accessible and welcoming campus.

• Student Org Co-Sponsorship Program
  SOF supports a wide variety of student-run events, endeavors, and diversity-related programming offered by registered student organizations.

• Center for Equity and Inclusion (CEI)
  The CEI promotes and advances a diverse, equitable, and supportive campus culture through its commitment to fulfilling the spirit of equal opportunity laws and policies, as well as building awareness within the university community.

• University Resource Groups
  University Resource Groups (URGs) provide an organized voice on campus for diverse communities within The University of Texas at Austin and also an outlet to celebrate the voices, identities, experiences, and talents of the groups.

• Resources for Veterans
  Provides current and prospective students assistance throughout the the benefits application and certification process, and provides veteran-centered academic support, career services, health care and wellness resources, and support the ongoing success of veterans on campus.

UT Libraries Diversity and Inclusion Resources

• UT Libraries Diversity and Inclusion Glossary of Terms and Acronyms
• University of Texas Libraries Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Resources
• APA Writing Guidelines for Writing With Bias-Free Language

Diversity and Inclusion Reading and Viewing Lists

• Geoscience Empowerment Network Reading Lists
• University of Texas Libraries Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Resources
• Resources on Equity and Anti-Racism

Geoscience Diversity and Inclusion Organizations

• AISES: American Indian Science and Engineering Society
• Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Geosciences
• Black in Geoscience
• GEN: Geoscience Empowerment Network    Texas Geosciences
• Geoscience Alliance
• Geoscience Ambassadors   Texas Geosciences
• GLOW: Geoscience Leadership Organization for Women.   Texas Geosciences
• GSEC: Graduate Student Executive Committee  Texas Geosciences
• IAGD: International Association for Geoscience Diversity
• NABG: National Association of Black Geoscientists
• SACNAS: Society of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science
• SOLESS:  Society of Latinxs/Hispanics in Earth and Space Sciences
• Resources for Improving Diversity In Open Source STEM Projects

Land Acknowledgement

The Jackson School of Geosciences community represents people of diverse backgrounds whose work is conducted in many parts of the world. We recognize and express appreciation for the human history of a given place through recognition of its Indigenous inhabitants. For the State of Texas, we make the following Land Acknowledgement:

We would like to acknowledge that we are meeting on the Indigenous lands of Turtle Island, the ancestral name for what now is called North America.

Moreover, (I) We would like to acknowledge the Alabama-Coushatta, Caddo, Carrizo/Comecrudo, Coahuiltecan, Comanche, Kickapoo, Lipan Apache, Tonkawa and Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo, and all the American Indian and Indigenous Peoples and communities who have been or have become a part of these lands and territories in Texas.

Source: The Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at UT Austin

Why? Land acknowledgement is considered:

• an expression of gratitude and appreciation for Indigenous people
• a way of honoring Indigenous people who have been living and working on the land for centuries, and
• useful to shed light on the long-standing history associated with a given place and our roles as individuals and communities within that history.

If you would like to use a land acknowledgement statement, the Department of Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) has provided a downloadable PDF file and a downloadable image. 

Research on your own is helpful. For further reading and learning, check out:

• Learn more about land acknowledgments
  • Connect on campus with groups like The Native American and Indigenous Collective (NAIC) at UT.
  • Read about Indigenous communities in the United Statesand in Texas specifically.