At Colorado School of Mines, we understand that a diverse and inclusive campus environment inspires creativity and innovation, which are essential to the engineering process. We also know that in order to address current and emerging national and global challenges, it is important to learn with and from people who have different backgrounds, thoughts, and experiences.
Our students come from every state in the nation and from more than 90 countries around the world, and we continue to make progress in the areas of diversity and inclusion by providing programs and services to support these efforts.
The President’s Council on Diversity, Inclusion & Access
The council concept was introduced in spring 2017; the purpose was to engage representatives from all of the Mines community in developing a Strategic Plan for DI&A. Prof. Amy Landis, in her role as Mines Presidential Faculty Fellow for Access, Attainment & Diversity, leads the council, with its charge being:
- Frame recommendations to the Mines’ president on a strategic access, attainment, inclusion, and diversity plan. The plan will include goals that will be achieved through signature initiatives that advance Mines’ commitments to diversity and inclusion.
- Advise implementation of data collection and contribute to reporting with respect to recruiting, enrollment, hiring, retention, graduation rates, and promotion and leadership opportunities for students, faculty and staff.
- Make recommendations to ensure and empower campus-wide collaboration, shared responsibility, and accountability for access, inclusion, and diversity.
- Evaluate opportunities to expand pathways for student, faculty, and staff access and success to create a campus climate in which all can thrive academically and professionally.
The Council published Mines Strategic Plan for DI&A in spring 2019. The campus community maintains engagement with DI&A through monthly Council meetings, unit and department DI&A implementation committees, Mines Community Alliances, and other special interest and working groups, such as the Women’s Advisory Board and Advocates & Allies for Gender Equity.
Council Members
The DI&A Council’s purpose is to promote a sense of shared responsibility, foster dialogue, facilitate collaboration (while minimizing duplication), reduce siloed efforts, support unit implementation (while sharing best practices), provide feedback to leadership, review and evaluate progress toward the DI&A strategic plan and to support and amplify campus-wide DI&A programming.
During the academic year, monthly general DI&A Council meetings consist of one representative from each academic department, campus unit, and major student leadership (e.g., Graduate Student Government, Undergraduate Student Government, Greek Life); units with a parallel DI&A mission; key partners (executive champions); and External Advisory Boards (alumni and corporate).
Parallel Mission:
- Women in Science, Engineering & Mathematics
- Multicultural Engineering Program
- Mines Veterans Alliance
- Transfer Students
- Disability Support Services
- Trefny Center
- K-14 Center
- Wellness Center
- Campus Life & Student Success
- Mines Foundation
- Admissions
- Human Resources
Key Partners:
- Human Resources
- Provost
- Campus Life & Student Success
- Enrollment Management
- Chief of Staff
- ITS
Industry External Advisory Board (semi-annual meetings):
- Ball Aerospace and Technologies
- Chevron Corporation
- ConocoPhillips
- Devon Energy
- FAST Enterprises
- Freeport-McMoRan
- LGS Innovations
- Lockheed Martin
- Mines Alumni
- Newmont Mining Corporation
- Phillips 66
- Procter & Gamble
- Xcel Energy
Awards and Highlights
Each year, President Johnson, the Mines DI&A team and a review committee review every unit and department progress report and give out awards for innovation and commitment to fostering an inclusive campus community, within and outside the classroom, for all Orediggers.
2023 Progress Report Awards
- President’s Choice – Academic Department: Geophysics
- President’s Choice – Nonacademic Department: Entrepreneurship & Innovation – McNeil Center
- Best in Recruitment and Retention: Computer Science
- Best in Cultivating a Culture of Inclusion: Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences
- Best in Data and Metrics: Trefny Center
2022 Progress Report Awards
- President’s Choice-Academic Program Award: Petroleum Engineering
- President’s Choice-Nonacademic Program Award: Information & Technology Solutions
- Best in Foster Dialogue: Library & Museum
- Best in Data & Metrics: Geology & Geological Engineering
- Best in Shared Responsibility: Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences
- Best in Recruitment & Retention: Computer Science
2021 Progress Report Awards (formerly known as Implementation Plan Awards):
- President’s Academic Program Award: Physics
- President’s Nonacademic Program Award: Campus Life & Student Success (CLASS)
- Best in Foster Dialogue: Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences (HASS)
- Best in Data & Metrics: Information & Technology Solutions (ITS)
- Best in Shared Responsibility: Library & Museum
- Best in Responsiveness to Pandemic: Trefny Center
2019 Inaugural DI&A Implementation Plan Awards:
- President’s Academic Program Award: Computer Science
- President’s Nonacademic Program Award: Research & Tech Transfer
- Cultivating a Culture of Inclusion Award: Trefny Innovative Instruction Center
- Creative Programming Award: Campus Life and Student Success (CLASS)
- Supporting Student Retention Award: Women in Science, Engineering & Mathematics (WISEM)
- Institutional Engagement Award: Information & Technology Solutions