DEIJ Guidebook Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

These are definitions the DEIJ Committee crafted together. 

• Diversity: The variety of identities, characteristics, and backgrounds of people, including but not limited to: academic discipline, knowledge, race, gender, age, ethnicity, disability, education, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, language, physical appearance, education, marital status, and life experiences (adapted from Racial Equity Tools). These characteristics, identities, and backgrounds are interrelated and cannot be fully understood in isolation.
• Equity/equitable: Allocating resources to ensure everyone has access to the same resources and opportunities. Acknowledging previous and current inequities in access and developing targeted ways to correct them. Equity is the approach and equality is the outcome.
• Inclusive/inclusion: Removing and acknowledging existing barriers that exclude people from accessing certain resources or opportunities. Acts of inclusivity involve fostering a sense of belonging and creating spaces, processes, and activities in which people, groups, and communities share and restore power.
• Justice: The proactive development of policies, practices, attitudes, and actions that acknowledge and address discrepancies in power and access by dismantling barriers to resources and opportunities.

The guidebook is a collection of resources to aid us in embedding diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in our work. It supplements the AIR DEIJ Committee’s recommendations to AIR Leadership for incorporating the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice into AIR administration and AIR programs. All objectives are integrated and support one another in building a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and justice-oriented institution. 

Within the guidebook are the “Affiliated Guidebook Resources” referenced in each objective, along with related resources on the subjects of training, workplace culture, employee support, communication, and funding. This resource is an evolving document with references and resources to help us incorporate DEIJ principles into our work.

At the Arizona Institute for Resilience (AIR), we pursue actionable solutions to local and global environmental problems. These solutions require a foundation in social, racial, and environmental justice. We stand with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color who continue to experience systemic and institutional racism and are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change and other major environmental problems. We aim to challenge oppressive systems, through our work and through our own personal behaviors, to support the transformation to an equitable society in Tucson, across the U.S., and around the world.

AIR, as part of the University of Arizona, sits on the ancestral homelands of the Tohono O’odham Nation and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. As Arizona’s land-grant university and a Hispanic Serving Institution, the university has made a commitment to serve under-represented and Indigenous communities. This commitment is mirrored in AIR programs that focus on creating authentic relationships and engagement while striving to build healthy, thriving, and resilient communities.

AIR is dedicated to supporting and celebrating differences and multiple perspectives. As individuals and as an institute, we will identify and dismantle systemic racism and other forms of oppression. We will uphold, enforce, and go beyond the University of Arizona’s Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy, challenge bias, and actively promote anti-racist, empathetic, and inclusive behavior of staff, faculty and students in our programs and projects. The principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice are fundamental to the work we do within our institute and research programs, and with our community partners and networks that extend beyond the University of Arizona.

AIR Land Acknowledgement

The following is the land acknowledgement developed by the AIR DEIJ Committee. We envision that this land acknowledgement will be revisited annually and updated as needed. We encourage each AIR program to develop their own land acknowledgment that reflects the land and people in places they work, as well as their own missions and values. Core components we suggest including are relationships to the land, responsibility, gratitude, and commitment moving forward.

Arizona Institute for Resilience (AIR) at the University of Arizona sits on the ancestral homelands of the Tohono O’odham and Pascua Yaqui/Yoeme people whose relationships with this land continue to this day. We offer gratitude to the land and the people who have stewarded it for generations, and commit to sustaining relationships that recognize and acknowledge the people, cultures, and histories that make up our community.

UArizona Land Acknowledgement

The following is the land acknowledgement for the University of Arizona. They request that when using this land acknowledgement statement, it be used in its entirety only. However, if space does not permit the full statement, please link to it in this format: The University of Arizona Land Acknowledgement. Additionally, learn more about the work that went into developing this statement. 

We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the O’odham and the Yaqui. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the University strives to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships, and community service.

Learn about Land Acknowledgements and Resources for Development in the guidebook’s Basic References section or find Guidance on Land Acknowledgements in the Tools for Applying DEIJ Principles section.

*Note about the use of italics: Many people and organizations italicize land acknowledgments when presented digitally. However, italicized text can be more difficult for folks to read, so avoid italicizing text. Learn more about creating accessible text.

We welcome your use of this form to provide feedback for our guidebook resources. Feedback can include questions, comments, and suggestions of new resources or themes for resources. 

If you are looking for more information on how you can participate in AIR's DEIJ efforts, please reach out to the DEIJ listserv at air-deij-request@list.arizona.edu.

To find all the guidebook sections, visit the guidebook homepage. Each section of the guidebook has its own webpage and they are all linked on the guidebook homepage. You can also toggle the sections using the menu on the left side of the screen. 

Some tips for navigating guidebook section pages: 

• There are three different types of resources on this page. They include: (1) internal links to UArizona websites, (2) external links to non-UArizona websites, and (3) links to downloadable documents. Internal links will not open a new tab, unless they guide you to a document. An external link will have a small triangle at the right end, pointing away from the link, and open a new tab. You can preview any linked text by hovering over it. The preview will either appear above your cursor or in the bottom left of your internet window. 
• There is a table of contents for this page at the beginning, just after the main title. Each category on the list is hyperlinked to those sections, so you can use that link to quickly navigate to a section you are interested in.
• The resources are organized in "panels," which hold resources on a shared topic. These panels can open and close when the top border is clicked.
• Since many of the panels are long, there are "Back to top" links at the end of each panel that will take you back to the very top of this site to help you reorient after lots of scrolling.

Definitions to many DEIJ concepts can be found in the DEIJ Glossaries area of the Basic References section of the guidebook.

You can demonstrate this commitment by engaging in DEIJ-focused professional development activities and training. Visit the training section of the guidebook.

Find resources in these areas of the Applying DEIJ Principles section of the guidebook: Drafting Broader Impacts Statements and Incorporating DEIJ Language and Principles into Project Proposals, Incorporating and Embedding DEIJ Principles and Language into Calls for Proposals, Projects, and Collaborations, and Assessing Research from a DEIJ Perspective.

Find resources in the Recruiting Diverse Pools of Job Applicants area of the Applying DEIJ Principles section of the guidebook.

Find resources in the Resources for Equity of Review for Hiring Committees area of the Applying DEIJ Principles section of the guidebook.

The DEIJ Committee recognizes that AIR staff need a clear process by which we can express concerns and expect them to be addressed. We hope that this work will begin soon. Currently, the best advice we can offer is to talk with your supervisor.

Additionally, the mentorship program proposed by the DEIJ Committee would help us introduce a clear process to new and future staff.

To find resources that are available right now, visit Resources for Expressing Concern or Complaints and Resources for Responding to Concerns or Complaints in the DEIJ Support for AIR Personnel section of the guidebook.