Belonging and Success
Undergraduate Biology BS Statement
We in the Undergraduate Biology Program believe that varied perspectives and personal experiences are vital to our success. The Undergraduate Biology Program at the University of Kansas is committed to creating a space where all ideas and perspectives are valued. Below, we describe our BS vision and action steps to create a caring culture for all our students, staff, and faculty.
We strive for:
- Faculty and staff that reflect our student population
- A student population that reflects our global community
- A place where all students, staff, and faculty feel they belong.
- A culture of accountability: when problems arise, we work to address them on an individual, classroom, and departmental basis
Faculty & Staff will strive to:
- Foster a supportive environment during student and colleague interactions
- Provide standardized materials to students regarding out-of-classroom learning opportunities
- Create welcoming office spaces for students
- Highlight supportive opportunities to students
- Implement evidence-based pedagogy through course transformations and other best practices
- Provide training and assistance to spread evidence-based pedagogy practices for faculty and staff within and outside KU
- Provide training to faculty and staff that enhances understanding of our community
- Train undergraduate and graduate teaching assistants in best practices in education
- Use respectful hiring approaches in our unit.
- Participate in regular Impact & Belonging educational efforts
- Seek to identify and eliminate any barriers within our policies, systems, programs, and services
- Respect the variety of student values, experiences, and motivations
Our students can join us by:
- Sharing experiences and perspectives openly and honestly with the faculty and staff of biology
- Contributing to a collaborative learning experience by respecting peers and their various viewpoints
Undergraduate Biology Belonging and Success Committee Members
Lauren Spain-Eddington, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Biology, Committee Chair
Victor Gonzalez, Associate Teaching Professor
Bridgette Kells, Senior Academic Advisor
Tara Marriage, Assistant Teaching Professor
Dyan Morgan, Associate Teaching Professor
Denny Swartzlander, Director of Physiology Laboratories
Shelly Nauman, Microbiology Lab Coordinator
Maria Losito, Communications Coordinator
Kennedy Chrisco, Microbiology Lab Coordinator
Additional Resources:
Office of Civil Rights and Title IX
International Support Services