The following are a list of action items that the lab is currently engaged in:
Workspace and Learning Environment – Supportive, free of discrimination and bias
- Entering into mentoring compacts with all lab members that establish clear expectations for both mentees and mentors regarding tolerance and inclusion in our lab
- Communicating how to report and address incidents of discrimination, aggression, or unethical behavior
Ongoing Operations – Thorough and actively self-aware, observant of the role we play
- Administering a yearly lab climate survey, which we use to guide lab practices and identify potential problems or instances of bias or harassment
- Holding lab meetings specifically to identify and discuss our lab’s agency in the context of social justice
- Holding annual evaluations of our lab’s values and actions and establishing future actions/opportunities to advance these values
- Sharing our actions with other labs, so they may also work to improve the field
Representation in Recruitment – Engaged with the campus community and beyond
- Expanding recruitment of human subject participants beyond students on campus. This has the impact of communicating the nature of our work to the larger community of Madison and enriching insights we receive from the data collected
- Creating and advertising additional opportunities for student researchers to be paid for their work, so that research positions are not limited only to students who can afford unpaid, for-credit opportunities
- Recruiting undergraduate students from underrepresented groups at UW–Madison
Knowledge Domain and Outreach – Accessible and engaged with young students
- Writing and reviewing articles for Frontiers for Young Minds to involve kids from diverse backgrounds in the scientific process
- Identifying and participating in community outreach programs that promote accessible education
These are the first steps of an ongoing effort to enact change, and we will continue to grow and develop our plan of action. We are always open to discussion and suggestions on how to improve.
The content on this page was last assessed in April of 2024.