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Director of the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity
Earl Merritt-2

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

The place to be…and the 

place to “be”

The College of the Liberal Arts prides itself on being an innovative hub of groundbreaking research and intellectual discovery—a place where students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds come together to examine and offer solutions for the most critical issues facing society today. 

Dean Clarence Lang (center) sits outside Sparks Building with students Janiyah Davis (left) and Carter Gangl (right).
Dean Clarence Lang (center) sits outside Sparks Building with students Janiyah Davis (left) and Carter Gangl (right).
The College of the Liberal Arts attracts the most diverse student body at Penn State University Park
40
%

of students identify as a member of a minority group 

14
%

international students

10
%

Hispanic or Latinx

6
%

Black or African American

5
%

Asian

5
%

Other

5/5 stars for overall campus climate in the 2022 Campus Pride LGBTQ-Friendly Campus Climate Index

Earl F. Merritt, director the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity in the College of the Liberal Arts, meets with a student at a resource fair in the HUB-Robeson Center.
Earl F. Merritt, director the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity in the College of the Liberal Arts, meets with a student at a resource fair in the HUB-Robeson Center.

Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity

The college’s Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity supports the success of students traditionally underrepresented in higher education and serves as a collaborative link with other University stakeholders who do the same. The office helps students get involved through student organizations, research opportunities, and education abroad experiences and manages the selection of Bunton-Waller Fellows and Bunton-Waller Merit first-year undergraduate students. The office also supports the recruitment and retention of traditionally underrepresented faculty and staff in higher education. 

Schedule a meeting with:
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Imani Murray

’22
Imani had the opportunity to travel to Austria through a trip hosted by the College of the Liberal Arts. After getting an email advertising the trip, Murray met with Earl F. Merritt, director of the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity, to explain that she was interested in the trip but couldn’t afford it. In response, the office paid for Murray’s trip in full. “The College of the Liberal Arts really gave me an opportunity, and that opportunity has now allowed me to share with others, especially Black students, how studying abroad can be accessible even when it doesn’t seem feasible. Earl Merritt opened that door for me.”
ImaniMurrayAustria (1)

Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, and Transformation

The college’s Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, and Transformation (CODIT) advises the dean on policies, initiatives, and procedures to encourage inclusion and diverse representation among Liberal Arts faculty, staff, and students. Committee activities: 

  • Formulating initiatives 
  • Supporting proposals for college stakeholders 
  • Helping to keep college strategy aligned with college and University commitments to diversity and inclusion 

CODIT Members

  • Borja Gutiérrez, Assistant Teaching Professor of Spanish
  • Mathias Hanses, Assistant Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies (Co-Chair)
  • Koraly Perez-Edgar, McCourtney Professor of Child Studies and Professor of Psychology
  • Kevin Conaway, Director, Digital Pedagogies and Initiatives 
  • Brian Patchcoski, Assistant Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Earl F. Merritt, Director, Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity (Co-Chair) 

Undergraduate Students

In addition to substantial financial aid, underrepresented students at Penn State and in College of the Liberal Arts can access resources, attend cultural events, and participate in out-of-classroom and professional development opportunities that help you reach your goals. The college has its own Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity dedicated to supporting Liberal Arts students. 

Schedule a meeting with:

Liberal Arts Student Organizations

The Minorities in the College of the Liberal Arts (MCLA) helps minoritized students in the college access resources and build a college community.

Learn More about MCLA

The Ph.D. is the most advanced degree in the field of economics and is generally considered a research degree. Many candidates are often unprepared for the rigor and highly quantitative nature of graduate studies in economics. The CARE program can help improve your odds of being admitted to top Ph.D. programs by bridging the gap between the undergraduate major and core courses in graduate studies.

Learn More About the Program

Matila Sackor and Janae Sayler, two Liberal Arts students, sit behind the Minorities in the College of the Liberal Arts table at the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Festival in September 2022.
Matila Sackor and Janae Sayler, two Liberal Arts students, sit behind the Minorities in the College of the Liberal Arts table at the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Festival in September 2022.
Students in the Graduate Alliance for Diversity and Inclusion sit around a large conference table at an organization meeting
Students in the Graduate Alliance for Diversity and Inclusion sit around a large conference table at an organization meeting.
In the fall of 2022, the Graduate Alliance for Diversity and Inclusion hosted a community gathering in 127 Moore Building for students to mingle, eat refreshments, and play games.
In the fall of 2022, the Graduate Alliance for Diversity and Inclusion hosted a community gathering in 127 Moore Building for students to mingle, eat refreshments, and play games.

Graduate Students

The College of the Liberal Arts is committed to the recruitment, development, graduation, and placement of outstanding students from diverse backgrounds. Over twenty-five percent of Liberal Arts graduate students are international, including many from Asia and Africa, and over seventeen percent of domestic graduate students are minorities. 

Graduate Alliance for Diversity and Inclusion

The Graduate Alliance for Diversity and Inclusion (GADI) is an organization devoted to the principles of diversity and inclusion among graduate students in the College of the Liberal Arts. GADI is a space for building community, sharing knowledge, and advocating for policies that promote diversity and inclusion for underrepresented students. 

  • Join a committee or the book group 
  • Find resources for inclusive teaching, conference opportunities, and funding 
  • Attend events 
  • Sign up for the newsletter 
  • Follow GADI on social media 

Department Organizations

Some departments in the College of the Liberal Arts have their own organizations to connect prospective and current graduate students with one another. 

BRIDGE is a diversity action alliance consisting of faculty members and graduate students in the Department of Psychology who are interested in promoting and addressing diversity-related issues within our program community.

Learn More about BRIDGE

Each year, Cultivating Underrepresented Students in Philosophy (CUSP) organizes a summer workshop and a fall workshop held at Penn State. They are directed toward prospective graduate students in philosophy from traditionally underrepresented groups.

Learn more about CUSP

PIKSI is designed to encourage undergraduate students from underrepresented groups to consider future study in the field of philosophy. PIKSI emphasizes the on-going project of greater inclusiveness that is transforming the discipline, inviting students to be participants in the conversation.

Learn more about PIKSI

Faculty and Staff

The College of the Liberal Arts strives to increase diversity and fully include members of underrepresented groups among our faculty and staff. Diversity in our employees enhances overall creativity, intellectual pursuit, and accomplishments, and contributes meaningfully to the training of citizens in a democratic society. The qualities that people from diverse backgrounds bring to institutions of higher education help us think more complexly, consider varied perspectives, create new approaches, and achieve excellence as community members and leaders in an ever-changing world. 

Research and Outreach Initiatives

The largest-ever grant awarded to Penn State by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation seeks to build an expanded intellectual community of and for visiting and resident graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty of color.

Learn more about the Project

These programs offer professional development, career advancement, and mentoring opportunities that make it easier for mid-career faculty—especially humanities and social sciences faculty from underrepresented populations—to achieve full professor status.

The Staff Advisory Committee in the College of the Liberal Arts hosts a series of lunchtime workshops for staff focused on topics like accessibility, pronouns and gender, and equity in higher education.

Learn more about the Committee

The goal of the department’s Diversity Promotion Committee is to increase the diversity of its students and faculty, foster an inclusive climate, and promote professional development.

Learn more about the Committee

Established in 2019–20 under the co-directorship of Gabrielle Foreman and Shirley Moody-Turner, the center is a public-facing unit committed to bringing the histories of early Black political organizing to digital life through innovative scholarship and collaborative community partnerships.

Learn more about the Center

The Africana Research Center promotes research and scholarship that advances the historical and contemporary understanding and enhancement of the lives of African Americans, Africans, and Afro-Caribbean peoples.

Learn more about the Center

A college outreach initiative promoting the health and well-being of children, youth, and families from diverse backgrounds (mostly in the greater Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area) through culturally sensitive and community-engaged research projects.

Learn more about PACT

Launched by Sinfree Makoni, professor and director of the African Studies program, worldwide participants engage in online conversations that hope to decenter hegemonic epistemologies and decolonize the Western canon to facilitate other ways/waves of knowing.

Learn more about the Forum

Published by the University of Illinois Press, the journal was founded in 2007 as Black Women, Gender, and Families. Effective in 2023, the journal is housed at Penn State in the College of the Liberal Arts, where it is co-edited by founding editor Jennifer Hamer, professor of African American studies and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies.

The Critical Philosophy of Race Initiative in the Rock Ethics Institute seeks to develop the philosophical tools necessary to meet the ethical and intellectual challenges posed by new forms of racism as well as the legacy of the inherited racisms. It also turns the spotlight on philosophy itself, its history and the shocking lack of diversity within many philosophy departments today.

Learn more about the Initiative

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Values Statement

The College of the Liberal Arts is dedicated to free and critical inquiry into the human condition in all of its social, cultural, and historical diversity.  We are committed to maintaining a fearless and inclusive environment that supports an open and respectful exchange of ideas in the classroom, on campus, and on line. To that end, we do not tolerate threats, intimidation, harassment, vandalism, and violence directed at anyone in our community, no matter their race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, immigration status, socioeconomic status, political convictions, or disability. And, we support the work of all our departments and programs, including those focusing on the experiences of underrepresented groups.  

Use our Find a Resource tool to explore other college and University resources related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.  Find a Resource tool.

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