Thank you for considering a position in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience at the University of South Carolina (USC) School of Medicine, located in Columbia, SC. 

At the University of South Carolina, we strive to ensure an inclusive environment that is open, welcoming, and supportive of individuals of all backgrounds. We recognize diversity at work is essential to providing academic excellence and critical to our sustainability. The University is committed to eliminating barriers created by institutional discrimination through accountability and continuous process improvement.

USC celebrates the diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences of our faculty, staff, and students.  Therefore, we are asking you provide a brief statement regarding your commitment to helping us on our mission to create a diverse, equitable, and welcoming culture in our department, School, and University where everyone can thrive. Your statement will help us build our team with candidates that have the experiences, professional skills, and/or enthusiasm to enhance our efforts for enriching diversity, equity, and mutual respect across our campus.  We know this effort will:  1) engender excellence in research, teaching and service, 2) enhance our strong collaborative and collegial departmental spirit, and 3) reduce barriers for achieving professional and personal success.   

In a short statement, please feel free to share:

• Any past experiences or events that helped inform or enhance your understanding of diversity and/or the challenges for creating a more inclusive culture.
• Interactions and mentoring of students or peers from a diversity of backgrounds and cultures that have shaped your understanding of inclusion or equity.
• Your views and ideas for fostering the success of underrepresented or marginalized populations.
• Future plans for contributing to our efforts in building a more diverse, just, and inclusive culture.

We invite you to become a member of our team, and support the Carolinian Creed:
As a Carolinian:
I will practice personal and academic integrity
I will respect the dignity of all persons
I will respect the rights and property of others
I will discourage bigotry, while striving to learn from differences in people, ideas, and opinions
I will demonstrate concern for others, their feelings, and their need for conditions which support their work and development

Some resources that might be of value:

Golash-Boza, T. (2016) From Inside Higher Ed:  “The Effective Diversity Statement”. https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2016/06/10/how-write-effective-diversity-statement-essay. Tanya Golash-Boza gives faculty job applicants eight tips for writing a stellar diversity statement that stands out to search committees. 
From the Center for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion, UC San Diego [retrieved 4/27/2021]: https://physicalsciences.ucsd.edu/diversity/contributions-to-diversity-statements.html
Canning, CM and Reddick, RJ (2019) In the Chronicle of Higher Education: In Defense of Diversity Statements https://www.chronicle.com/article/in-defense-of-diversity-statements/