[bioundgrd] Maintaining an inclusive and welcoming environment

[Hallie Dowling-Huppert]

Dear Biology Community,

On April 27th there was a homophobic slur written in an elevator in Building 68 on top of a LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group<https://iceo.mit.edu/employee-resource-groups/> flyer that was hung in the locked display case.  The slur has been removed and this incident has been reported to the MIT Bias Response Team<https://idhr.mit.edu/our-office/brt>. Defacing flyers is not allowed in Biology or anywhere at MIT. Defaced or inappropriately altered materials in our building can and will be removed.  If in the future you see materials that are defaced in an offensive way, please take them down and report them to me.

As a community with core values of inclusivity and welcoming, we take care to ensure all members of our community feel supported, and we know that these types of events can shake that sense of security.  We would like to reiterate that LGBTQ+ community members are welcomed, fostered, and celebrated in Biology and at MIT, and we are continually envisioning structures and programs to support that.  If you have feedback or ideas for programming to promote inclusivity and welcoming, please reach out! We are committed to creating an environment where people can be their full selves and we hope that you will join us in uplifting that commitment by treating each other with kindness and respect.  If you have any comments or questions, feel free to reach out to me or come to my office hours which are listed in my signature.

Sincerely,

Hallie Dowling-Huppert, M.Ed., pronouns: <https://www.mypronouns.org/>  She/Her
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, Department of Biology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
halliedh at mit.edu<mailto:halliedh at mit.edu>
617-715-2448
Office location: 68-323A, working remotely Mondays and Fridays
In-person office hours: Wednesdays 12-1 pm and Thursdays 1-2 pm
Week of 5/1-5/5 Temporary office hours will be Monday 2-3pm and Thursday 3-4pm
Zoom link: https://mit.zoom.us/my/halliedh



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