Diversity Committee

Mission and Values

The role of Diversity Committee is to develop and recommend initiatives to the department’s chair in order to build and strengthen the educational, organizational, and institutional climate of the History department in areas related to inclusion, equity, and diversity. The committee is devoted to: 

  • Transparency and open communication on matters related to diversity. 
  • Including students in a dialogue that creates a healthy institutional culture.
  • Accountability in areas that need improvement.
  • Promoting a governance focused around the building of a community that fosters respect for inclusion and diversity. 
  • Engagement and interconnectedness with the College’s Diversity Committee.

With these ideas in mind, the Diversity Committee strives to:

  1. Create an inclusive climate in the History Department.
  2. Make recommendations about diversity and inclusion content in our curriculum.
  3. Make recommendations regarding pedagogical skills related to teaching diversity and inclusion in our classes.
  4. Make recommendations about recruitment, admission, and enrollment of a diverse student body.
  5. Make recommendations on issues related to recruitment and retention of a students, faculty, and staff.
  6. Make recommendations related to students’ engagement
  7. Identify and recommend opportunities for cross-departmental collaboration with other schools/departments across the University engaged in initiatives related to inclusion, equity, and diversity.
  8. Make recommendations of needed training for faculty, staff, and students to create a healthy atmosphere at the department.

The Diversity Committee has five members: one faculty member from each campus (tenured, non-tenured, and instructors can serve) will be appointed by the chair; one member will represent the department’s staff, and two members will be students, one graduate and one undergraduate. The Chair of the Committee will be the faculty member appointed by the chair as Faculty Liaison to the College of Arts & Sciences’ Diversity Committee. Faculty appointments will be done by the chair of the department, the graduate student and staff representatives will be elected by the members of these communities; the undergraduate representative will be recommended by members of the faculty and appoint by the department’s chair. They will all serve for one year, after ending the term new members need to be appointed/elected.

Current Members of the Diversity Committee:
Ivanna López, Undergraduate students' representative
Sherine Hamade, Graduate students' representative
Katrina Anderson, Staff representative
Cassandra Yacovazzi, Faculty representative from Sarasota
Scott Perry, Faculty representative from Sarasota
Adriana Novoa, Faculty representative from Tampa and Department Liaison to College of Arts and Sciences' Diversity Committee