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Diversity Scholars Network

About the Network


The Diversity Scholars Network is a scholarly community committed to advancing understandings of historical and contemporary social issues related to identity, difference, culture, representation, power, oppression, and inequality — as they occur and affect individuals, groups, communities, and institutions.

This 900+ scholars network represents more than 200 institutions across the world, comprised of tenured, tenure-track, clinical and research faculty (including lecturers), research staff, and postdoctoral fellows.

Our Vision 

The Diversity Scholars Network (DSN), a core initiative of the National Center for Institutional Diversity (NCID), will foster academic, educational, and social connections and environments that facilitate the professional success of diversity scholars. Our view of “success” includes individual scholars’ self-defined professional goals and also reflects a holistic approach. That is, we aspire to create environments that support scholars in their sense of community and connectedness with others who share their professional values and commitments, in rich intellectual engagement and exchange, and in their personal and professional development and thriving as whole persons. 

Our Mission 

Our vision is operationalized through our mission, which is to connect, catalyze, and elevate diversity scholars and scholarship.

1. Connect 

a. To build academic and social communities for information sharing and collaboration

b. To create educational, academic, and social opportunities where interdisciplinary communities of diversity scholars can achieve success (and thrive)

2. Catalyze 

a. To mobilize scholars collectively for social transformation

b. To support research engagement and innovation through the NCID’s various funding and engagement opportunities, such as Think Act TanksChange Grants, and Pop-up Grants

3. Elevate

a. To support the career success and advancement of diversity scholars in the academy

b. To highlight the important contributions and legitimacy of diversity scholarship and diversity scholars

c. To promote and support the dissemination and application of this scholarship in informing and addressing pressing societal issues

d. To elevate the work of diversity scholars through publications

Network members:

  • Engage in a scholarly community to collaborate and mobilize for social change
  • Receive support to produce your scholarship
  • Access opportunities to translate and disseminate your scholarship
  • Become part of a collective to advance diversity scholarship in the academy

The Network is a resource for:

  • Leaders to utilize scholarship and ground their decision-making process
  • Journalists to connect with experts and inform reporting on social topics
  • Academic leaders to diversify their recruitment, hiring processes, as well as a resource to retain diversity scholars
  • Scholars to identify and connect with collaborators

If the Network is a resource to you in other ways, let us know!

Questions?

Questions about the Diversity Scholars Network can be directed to diversityscholars@umich.edu.