Two overlapping circles with EIC in the middle. Equity, Inclusion, Cookies on the top. CU Physics on the bottom.

EIC is a monthly event series open to all members of the CU physics community. Each event is a 90-minute guided discussion over coffee and cookies about issues relating to equity and inclusion in physics. You can find a schedule of this semester's events here

Next Event:

Mentoring Workshop - coming soon!

Workshop slides are here for trial session

The scientific and educational goals of our department rely to a large extent on successful mentoring relationships. Through these relationships we train the next generation of research scientists, guide students towards graduation and have the opportunity to build a more diverse and inclusive community.

However mentoring tends to be ‘learned on the job’. These critical skills are rarely discussed or taught.

This 90 minute workshop, based on the CIMER curriculum,  considers some of the key aspects of mentoring. Through discussion and experiential learning, workshop participants will have the opportunity to develop and improve their own mentoring strategies

Click here to participate in continued discussions on the Slack channel. If you are not a member, email us at EIC@colorado.edu to be invited!

Mission & Principles

The mission of EIC is to support a department culture that values and actively works toward equity and inclusion by providing awareness of, education about, and community support around issues of equity and inclusion.

The organizers of EIC base their work on the following guiding principles:

  1. Issues of equity and inclusion are relevant to all members of the physics department.

    • For those in minority groups, these issues matter because they negatively impact their experiences in physics, sometimes significantly.
    • For those in majority groups, these issues matter because those in the majority are best positioned to promote change that improves equity and inclusion, which ultimately benefits everyone.
  2. Learning about equity and inclusion is multifaceted, involving

    • the research on equity and inclusion,
    • the lived experiences of people from groups of which we are not a part,
    • the ways in which inequity and exclusion impact us and our department, and
    • the ways in which we can work together to effect change.
  3. There is no such thing as passive equity or passive inclusivity. If we do not intentionally work to make ourselves and our institutions equitable and inclusive, then we will remain inequitable and exclusive.

  4. Talking about equity and inclusion is difficult work that can be threatening and risky, especially for people from minority groups. Therefore, this work must happen in an environment that supports the wellbeing of its participants, particularly those from minority groups, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and grow.