Document Type
IMSA DEI History
Publication Date
6-12-2007
Abstract
The appreciation, affirmation, and inclusion of multiple cultures is important to ensure that all students, faculty, and staff will be able to enjoy the educational benefits of a multicultural academic environment and that these various perspectives will also enrich the educational enterprise. From this perspective it is important that community members be effective at interacting across cultures, which is essential to IMSA’s mission of being “the world’s leading teaching and learning laboratory for imagination and inquiry , igniting and nurturing creative, ethical scientific minds that advance the human condition....” The multiple cultures that make up the IMSA community include individual characteristics that contribute to personal identity such as race, ethnicity, geographic origin, gender, social class, religion, age, sexual orientation, and physical or mental ability. IMSA’s diverse cultural groups also include the political orientations, statewide regional cultures, and the multiplicity of beliefs, ideas, and visions that are critical to fostering an educational environment where students, faculty, and staff exchange ideas freely, encourage critical thinking, and reexamine their personal perspectives. In a globalized world, it is essential that the broadest range of discourse be carried out under civil conditions, in so doing, we will provide for civic participation in a democratic space that prepares all involved to be global citizens. The fair and respectful treatment of all persons in a diverse community is also central to our aspirations for social justice. It is indeed the necessary precondition for “advancing the human condition”.
The objectives of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are that : “all learners achieve their personal aspirations...The life of each IMSA graduate is recognized for significantly improving the way people live and that the universal paradigm for teaching and learning is grounded in imagination and inquiry” . We believe (that “Everyone is a mystery with unknown and unknowable limits...All people have equal intrinsic worth...No one’s path in life is predetermined...Everyone can lead...Belonging to a community requires commitment to the common good...Indifference diminishes individuals and communities...Trust and respect are vital for any relationship to thrive...Diversity in community inspires discovery and creativity...Diverse perspectives enrich understanding. Therefore, every student in the State of Illinois, who is highly talented and interested in mathematics and science, should have an opportunity to benefit from IMSA’s programs and services. Further more, IMSA’s current strategic plan places a high value upon addressing issues related to fair representation, and equal opportunity, for our students, faculty, and staff.
Recommended Citation
Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, "2007 Multicultural Development Plan" (2007). Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Resources. 8.
https://digitalcommons.imsa.edu/diversity_resources/8
Included in
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Education Policy Commons, Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons
