The College of Communication and Information recognizes that a college diverse in its people, curricula, scholarship, research, and creative activities expands opportunities for intellectual inquiry and engagement, helps students develop critical thinking skills, and prepares students for social and civic responsibilities. All members of the college benefit from diversity and the quality of learning, research, scholarship and creative activities is enhanced by a climate of inclusion, understanding and appreciation of differences and the full range of human experience. As a result, the college is committed to diversity and equal opportunity and it recognizes that it must represent the diversity inherent in American society. The college is acutely aware that diversity and fairness are foundations that unite the college’s faculty, staff, students, and the larger communication and information community.

Our commitment to promoting, protecting, and ensuring the diversity in our community is not an end unto itself. Rather, it builds upon an understanding that a diverse society is essential for the free exchange of ideas, debate, research, academic freedom, growth, responsibility, knowledge, integrity, cooperation and success in the local and global context. Diversity is also essential in developing the cultural competencies and effectiveness communication and information professionals need to manage the communication and information creation-organization-dissemination processes that serve the needs of increasingly diverse communities.

Diversity enriches the learning and teaching experiences of students, faculty, and others to live and work in an interconnected local, regional, and global village where there are many differences in people based on races, ethnicities, religions/spiritualities, creeds, national origins, languages, genders, sexual orientations, disabilities, ages, veteran status, marital/partnered status, physical appearances, political affiliations, and social, economic, or educational backgrounds, among other variables; all are honored, welcome, and respected in the College of Communication and Information. At the same time, there are many similarities in us that create potentials for rich and creative partnerships across the differences and may facilitate communication, understanding, and mutual growth. Without a reflective and thoughtful understanding of the similarities and differences among us, as well as ways to promote mutual respect and collaboration, education cannot be truly successful.

Thus, we, the faculty and staff of the College of Communication and Information, affirm our commitment to further diversity and equal opportunity in our teaching, research, services, and other creative pursuits. The College of Communication and Information willingly complies with applicable laws adopted by the University of Tennessee regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action.

• University of Tennessee System Equal Employment Opportunity/Non-Discrimination/Affirmative Action Statement
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville Office of Equal Opportunity & Accessibility (EO

• Provide an open and accepting community for CCI students
• Provide tools to help make students marketable for the global work place
• Help students learn to stand out and think independently
• Create a climate that affirms and endorses diversity
• Provide underrepresented students with support, programs, and experiences that will keep them in CCI and in college
• Build a bridge between CCI and existing diversity programs at UT
• Provide an atmosphere that allows students to discuss ideas and information associated with diversity and conflict

• Student Mentoring Program
• Social gatherings
• Student exchanges
• Diversity Speakers Program
• Job shadowing
• Inspiring diverse students to become leaders
• Inspiring and encouraging diverse students to think about and apply to graduate school
• Assessing the diversity climate within the College of Communication and Information