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Achievements of the CEOAS PLC (2017-present)

Since our start in 2017 as a grassroots graduate-student initiative, we have made numerous achievements, in addition to our main activity of organizing seminars and workshops within CEOAS, and developing keynote events open to CEOAS, OSU and the interested public. With a social justice lens and priority on student engagement, we aim to contribute to ongoing efforts to achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the geosciences.

We are a graduate student-run initiative (informal organization) with an average group size of 3-5 members per year. Over the last two years, we have:

  • Hosted nine seminars and two keynote events

  • Witnessed increased attendance by all disciplines in CEOAS and all levels (faculty, staff, administration, graduate students, undergraduates, and post-doctoral scholars)

  • Total attendee count of ~600 for combined seminars and keynote events

 

As graduate students, we are just beginning our careers in academia. We chose to contribute to diversity efforts during these formative years. Each member has gained the skills necessary to initiate a dialogue about diversity in our respective fields. Our group's academic network (shown on the right) continues to grow. Many of the on-campus groups listed did not have prior connections with CEOAS.

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Network/web diagram

[Image Description: Web with Unpacking Diversity CEOAS Professional Learning Community in the center, with connecting lines to a dozen organizations which range from Oregon State University programs (e.g., College of Liberal Arts, Science, Education, Engineering) and disciplines, campus institutional offices (Office of Institutional Diversity, Faculty Affairs, Counseling and Psychological Services), and keynote speaker institutions (University of Oregon, University of Southern California)]

Departmental and Institutional Efforts

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  • 6/5/2020: Solidarity Statement in support of Black Lives Matter - Wrote a statement of solidarity with the Black community and requested a call to action to the CEOAS community. Received 100+ signatures in response.

  • 6/26/2020: Recommendations for Change Wrote 7 specific actions with guidance to promote community change in CEOAS. Presented to leadership time over a series of meetings during Summer 2020. May be distributed with credit to Unpacking Diversity: CEOAS PLC

  • January 13, 2020: Hosted the first faculty-only debrief with after "Disability, Ableism, and Language" session. The purpose of this debrief was to reflect on accessibility in CEOAS

  • June 2019: Organized a faculty-only workshop to discuss the GREs admission requirements with Dr. Posselt (USC), a nationally recognized expert in the flawed use of metrics in graduate admissions. As of the 2021 admissions cycle, GREs are no longer required for CEOAS graduate applications.

 

Presentations

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  • October 2020: Hosted workshop at SACNAS about graduate student advocacy at PWIs

  • February 2020: Panelists representing a student-run organization at the world’s largest Oceanography conference (Ocean Sciences) for the first ever diversity session in the history of the conference: "Changing the Culture: Preparing a Diverse and Inclusive Ocean Sciences Workforce Panel

  • 2018: OSU Ethnic Studies Symposium talk titled "Creating Spaces to Unpack Diversity"

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Awards

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  • President's Commission on the Status of Women Community Builder Award (2020)

  • Global Consciousness Award (2018) - to founders

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Funding

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A number of organizations have co-sponsored our keynote events, including:

  • President's Commission on the Status of Women

  • OSU Graduate School

  • Office of Institutional Diversity

  • SORCE

  • ARCS Foundation Oregon Chapter

  • Postdoctoral Association

  • College of Engineering

  • Marine Resource Management Program

  • Oregon Sea Grant

  • CEOAS

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We have collaborated with graduate students in the College of Science and Integrative Biology to organize events.

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