The Department of Mathematics is committed to establishing a positive climate of equity and inclusion, as an integral part of everything we do, and as a necessary baseline for our work environment. We are committed to fostering a climate in which all of us can do our jobs to the best of our abilities in a supportive and affrming department.
We welcome, value, and respect differences in, for example, race, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, disability status, first language, religion, parental and family status, and socioeconomic background. We recognize that we gain by interacting with people of different standpoints.
Equity and inclusion require, at a minimum, a welcoming atmosphere of mutual respect and support. The department commits to a sustained effort to identify and eliminate barriers to engagement and achievement, and to promote an environment in which each person's work is evaluated based on the work itself. The department also commits to transparent conflict-resolution processes for students, faculty, and staff.
(Statement approved by the Department of Mathematics Executive Committee, Fall 2021).
Department Climate-Equity-Inclusivity (CEI) Committee
The purpose of the Department of Mathematics Climate-Equity-Inclusivity (CEI) Committee is to discuss issues of equity and climate broadly across the department including, but not limited to, areas such as student admission, classroom instruction, mentoring, hiring, evaluation, and the promotion and tenure process. The committee makes specific recommendations for ongoing actions or initiatives to improve the overall climate and promote an equitable and inclusive working environment.
Resources (Department, College, and University)
Graduate Student Chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics
The purpose of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) is to encourage women and girls to study and to have active careers in the mathematical sciences, and to promote equal opportunity and the equal treatment of women and girls in the mathematical sciences. Membership is open to all regardless of gender identity or expression, race, color, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.
Milliman Mentorship Program | Students of Color
Milliman is committed to promoting a high degree of diversity and inclusion within the actuarial field. With that, we are pleased to launch the Milliman Mentorship Program, an actuarial mentorship program for students of underrepresented minorities (Black, Latino, Native American) at the University of Illinois. Through a series of meetings with their own mentor—a practicing actuary at Milliman—students will be able to learn about the field and what it takes to start a job that consistently ranks as one of the top careers in the nation.
Diversity Commitment and Fee Waiver
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a strong commitment to diversity. As part of that commitment, the Department of Mathematics seeks to expand its search horizons and ensure that each deserving candidate for the Graduate Program is considered fairly and fully.
Merit Program for Emerging Scholars
The Merit Program is a challenging program for a select group of undergraduates. The program targets students with high potential who are members of groups, such as ethnic minorities and women, who tend to be underrepresented in the areas of science, mathematics and engineering. The program also targets students from small high schools. The Merit Program is not a remedial program. To be invited into the program, students must have high academic potential and be committed to excellence. One of our main goals in the Merit Program is to develop a community of scholars among the Merit students. The students in our program work together to solve difficult course problems, develop friendships based on common academic interests, and inspire each other to maintain a high level of commitment to excellence.
Additional Resources
- Women in Math (external website)