[LTER-diversity] a transition for the LTER Diversity Committee

[Hart, Clarisse]

Dear LTER Diversity Committee,

To revitalize Network-level diversity & inclusion work, in its December 2019 meeting, the LTER Executive Board voted to upgrade Diversity & Inclusion to a standing committee in the Network with at least one member (one voting member + optional additional ad hoc members) from each site.

This is good news for the status/focus of this work within the LTER Network and for its parity with other committees like IM and Education, but it represents a significant transition and decision point for our existing group. We welcome your feedback on this transition. Our committee, with years of dedicated effort by so many of you, has played a vital role in generating foundational thinking, trajectory, and resources for diversity and inclusion at individual sites and across the Network. But over the past couple years, the committee’s momentum has lapsed (for which we as leaders apologize).  Alan and I hope that a new committee structure will enable every interested member of this group to stay involved, while adding new voices and encouraging new leadership to emerge. We also hope that it will build the kind of cross-Network and site-level support that big ideas need to succeed.

Marty Downs from the LNO has been in touch with LTER site PIs to ask for names (by Feb 15) for representation from each site in the new committee, the first meeting for which will be in March. If you are interested in being a part of the new committee, we urge you to get in touch with your PI asap to be added to the list for your site!

The hope is for the new committee to function as a community of practice, similar in aim to our current group (and with a firm grasp of our history, resources, and lessons) but with more representation. The group will meet at least quarterly and represent a broad cross-section of roles in the Network (grad students, PIs, IMs, educators, post-docs, administrators, etc. – as well as organizational partners like SEEDS).

Regardless of your decision about continuing on the new committee, current committee members are invited to the March meeting to provide some history and continuity (look for a future email from Marty on date and agenda). We’ll make sure the new committee has access to the dropbox, including the (attached) LTER community ideas that were suggested in the Diversity & Inclusion session at the 2018 ASM. Some new ideas have also been floated since then, like LTER-wide web-chats on diversity & inclusion topics. And of course the new folks will have new ideas, as you likely do, too. Alan and I will be involved in the committee as ad-hoc members (though not as leaders or voting members).

So, please tell us your thoughts – on our current group, on cautions and opportunities for the new group – whatever you would like to share.

Thank you for your contributions to this important work – which we hope to continue with you in the future!
Clarisse & Alan


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clarisse Hart, Director of Outreach & Education

Harvard Forest
Harvard University
324 North Main Street
Petersham, MA 01366

(978) 756-6157 phone

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Harvard Forest on the web:
http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu<http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/>
http://www.facebook.com/theharvardforest
http://www.twitter.com/harvardforest and http://www.twitter.com/awitnesstree

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