Skip to Content

Diversity Action Plan

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures is dedicated to diversity and inclusion of individuals, ideas, experiences, and ways of life. We strive to cultivate a community that promotes the teaching, learning, and research of the languages, literatures, philosophies, and cultures of East Asia. We recognize and respect the diverse cultural products, practices, and perspectives of East Asian societies and the world community, with the goal of preparing students for current and future global multilingual endeavors. We are committed to the creation and sustainment of a learning and working environment that fosters respect and appreciation for the values, skills, and abilities of everyone; this includes individuals of diverse genders, colors, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religious beliefs, ages, learning and physical abilities, socioeconomic status, and marital status. We endeavor to foster an environment free from intolerance and conducive to mutual cultural understanding.


Department Statement Against Systemic Racism

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures wishes to affirm its support for the struggle against systemic racism in all its forms, and in all place.

The unrest unleashed by recent instances of unjust persecution, harassment, and killing of black Americans have revealed the deep-seated historic patterns of discrimination, violence, and systemic disenfranchisement against racial and ethnic minorities in the US. Because we teach the cultures and histories of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean communities, we are reminded that each of them has been affected by American legacies of exclusion, internment, and war. In the wake of fears about COVID-19, people of Asian descent in the US and the world over have been targeted for harassment, and sometimes violent attacks. Likewise, the same fears have led to the unjust treatment of communities of African descent in East Asia. These terrible events serve to remind us of the interconnected nature of many different forms of discrimination; however, they also point the way to more redemptive forms of universal tolerance, healing, and understanding. As teachers and students of different languages and cultures, our utmost imperative is to always listen to others, and to pay special attention to voices crying out in pain. Empathy and acknowledgement are a crucial part of our department’s academic mission. We express our solidarity and support for all communities that suffer in inequity.

 

EALL Contributions to HUM DAP

 

Goal 1 Strategy 2

 

Tactics:

Organize a workshop that addresses issues surrounding mental health for the international student community, particularly addressing stigma and different cultural understandings of mental health. Workshop will teach best practices for faculty and staff in addressing issues of mental health and provide resources to students, as well as educate students about resources on campus. We plan to reach out to the Testing and Counseling Center and the American English Institute as possible partners and collaborators.

 

Pertinence: This workshop will raise awareness of the particular challenges that face the international student community and educate faculty and staff about these issues; this workshop will contribute in creating more equity, inclusion, and understanding.

 

Target:

Invite diverse faculty, staff, and students in outreach program to combat cultural stigma surrounding mental health.

 

Resources to be used for this tactic:

Roy Chan’s Underrepresented Minority Recruitment Program fund.

 

Name and title of lead personnel:

Roy Chan, EALL, Jina Kim, Chair of EALL Diversity Committee

 

Timeline

To be completed in AY 2018-2019.

 

Evaluation tool:

Track count the number of participants. Administer a post-workshop survey that asks which parts of workshop were most helpful, and what further questions and concerns participants may have.

 

 

Goal 1 Strategy 2

 

Tactics:

EALL will host an annual speaker series on language and race/identity.

 

Pertinence: This speaker will raise awareness of the connections between foreign languages and racial/ethnic identity, and contribute to a more open, multicultural environment on campus.

 

Target:

Faculty, staff, and students from EALL and the larger UO community.

 

Resources to be used for this tactic:

EALL departmental funding

 

Name and title of lead personnel:

Rachel DiNitto, DH, EALL

 

Timeline

To be instituted AY 17-18.

 

Evaluation:

The department will run surveys after the lecture for feedback.

 

 

Goal 2 Strategy 1

Tactics:

The Chinese Flagship Program in EALL is dedicated to the development of professional proficiencies in Chinese for all UO undergraduate students including students with diverse learning and physical abilities and students from underrepresented communities (e.g. ethnic minorities, LGBTQ communities, and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups etc.).

 

As part of the CAS diversity action plan, the Chinese Flagship Program will continue its core mission to innovate advanced foreign language education as part of a globally oriented and multilingual undergraduate experience in the 21st century. We will do so by strengthening outreach to underrepresented communities and by creating and sustaining a learning environment that fosters the growth of linguistic skills and cultural competence for students from diverse backgrounds. The program will continue to provide all Flagship students with intensive language and culture instruction in small language classes at all levels and individualized learning and domain training tutorials in the target language. The program will continue to support qualified students with federal scholarship (up to $20,000 per student) for overseas linguistic, cultural, and professional immersion in China, and assist them to reach professional proficiencies and cultural competence in Chinese.

 

Pertinence:

 

The Chinese Flagship Program will support students who are traditionally underrepresented in advanced foreign language education especially overseas immersion experiences for them to reach professional proficiencies in Chinese as part of a federal initiative to create a strong multilingual American workforce for the federal government as well as the private sector in the service of national security, diplomacy, and economic competitiveness.

 

Target:

  • Strengthen community outreach to underrepresented communities
  • Sustain small-class instruction and individualized learning for students from diverse backgrounds
  • Continue academic and scholarship support for students from underrepresented groups
  • Increase participation of underrepresented groups in overseas linguistic, cultural and professional immersion

 

Resources to be used for this tactic

  • Institutional support from CAS and Provost Office
  • NSEP grant and grant F&A to EALL

 

Name and title of lead personnel

  • Zhuo Jing-Schmidt (PI and director of Chinese Flagship Program)

 

Timeline:

This will continue as long as UO has the Flagship grant

 

Evaluation tool:

Flagship has to report annually to NSEP regarding various targets for student performance. The PI will also gather data on the numbers of underrepresented students being supported by the grant.

 

 

Goal 3 Strategy 1

Tactics:

EALL’s DGS will run a 1-credit writing workshop (for 2 terms) for graduate students who are writing theses, dissertations, comprehensive exams, etc. Given the large number of international students in the department, this workshop will facilitate their success by helping them improve their English-language writing.

 

Pertinence:

This workshop will provide writing assistance to international students who are not currently served by the WR 121 classes, but who need strong English-language classes to succeed and make good academic progress.

 

Target:

Graduate students in EALL, specifically international students

 

Resources:

The EALL DGS will teach this workshop two times per year as part of their in-load teaching.

 

Name and title of lead personnel

Maram Epstein, DGS AY 2017-2019

 

Timeline:

Ongoing as long as the DGS position exists

 

Evaluation tool:

The DGS will report to the department regarding student progress. The department will discuss student writing at our annual meeting on graduate student progress. The department will also track job placement.

 

 

Other:

 

  • EALL will also put a diversity welcoming statement on our website (G1 S1 T2). The lead personnel is Zhuo Jing-Schmidt, Chair of EALL Diversity Committee, and the timeline is completed by Winter 2018.