Pronouns
Dr. Pagnucci’s pronouns are he/him/his. I choose to start this DEIB statement with my pronouns to show support and allegiance with taking a broad and inclusive perspective on the use of pronouns. Here are two excellent resources about pronoun usagage:
- “A Guide to Gender Identity Terms” by Laurel Wamsley for NPR (National Public Radio)
- “Let’s Get It Right: Using Correct Pronouns and Names” by ADL (Anti-Defamation League)
Promoting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEIB)
IUP has a strong commitment to promoting diversity and inclusiveness. Most universities do. But to be honest, we all need to do better. The news is full of attacks on diversity education. As a nation, the United States is divided, still so far from the life, liberty, and happiness promised to all. I wish we were closer to the goal of creating an equitable and just world, but we have a long way to go.
At IUP, I was chosen to lead the President’s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion to help us revamp some of our social equity work. The university has a lot of great DEIB initiatives, but I will be working to link our DEI efforts more directly to the curriculum and departmental events. We need DEIB to be a core element of our teaching to help deliver the message of its value to students because in the end its our students who are going to make our world a more just and equitable place.
And that’s where belonging is joined to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. We need everyone at the university, all students, faculty, staff, and administrators to feel they belong to a community that cares about them. We won’t create a better world by forcing beliefs upon anyone. We will only achieve equity and justice by talking, teaching, working, and being with one another. I don’t just want students to learn about diversity, I want students to learn to be kind, to help each other, and to treat one another fairly and with respect and caring. I want everyone to learn to say, that person belongs in this community just like I do, so if they need help, I’m going to lend them a hand. Yes, we have a long way to go, but I believe we can get there together.
To work toward this better world, universities must prioritize supporting DEIB initiatives, freedom of speech, and student safety. We also need to go beyond pre-packaged awareness training programs by providing resources to support campus groups, speakers, films, book discussions, and other creative activities for getting students to engage in dialogue, reading, writing, and reflection about race, class, gender, religion, and ethnicity. As faculty we need to work to redesign our courses using universal design principles that better facilitate learner access. We also need to keep working to develop curricula that focus on LGBTQIA+ issues, #metoo, Black Lives Matter, Global Englishes, tribal rights, and both the political left and right.
It takes time, money, and teamwork if we are going to make any real progress on DEIB, and academic leaders must set the agenda for these efforts. As one concrete example for how progress on equity can be made, I worked with Dr. Siegel Finer, Director of IUP Undergraduate Writing, to overhaul IUP’s writing placement procedures. Data showed that the placement system was disadvantaging incoming students from diverse backgrounds and English as a Second Language (ESL) homes. We redesigned the placement system to give greater weight to high school performance, to provide opportunity for student input about writing experience, and to be more responsive to language background issues. We also moved the system online to make it more cost effective for both students and the university. Next, we developed a new accelerated basic writing course that enabled students with the sufficient background preparation to progress more quickly, pay for fewer credits, and still get the instruction they needed to be successful in future coursework. This student-focused redesign made the placement system fairer and reduced bias.
DEI issues have an impact on every campus in the day-to-day lives of students. In my role as Chair, I have sometimes had students come to my office upset, angry, or frustrated because they feel that they are being treated unfairly by a faculty member or other member of the university community. This situation may have arisen because of an insensitive racial comment or an assignment that the student felt disadvantaged them because of their religious or political views. In these situations, I listen carefully so that the person knows they are being heard and then I work collaboratively with the student and faculty member to find solutions that are fair and equitable.
As an academic leader, I have made promoting social equality a top priority. At the department level, I have worked with other faculty to ensure that our curriculum includes a focus on teaching about race, gender, and sexual orientation. I have provided support and funding for a film and speaker series that promotes diverse viewpoints. I have coordinated diversity training workshops for faculty.
Beyond my work at the departmental level, I have participated in IUP’s Diversity and Inclusion Summit and taken part in student information sessions and events. I also write about diversity and gender issues in my own research on popular culture, narrative theory, and technology.
This is how I strive to make the university a more equitable and just place for all students, faculty, staff, and administrators, roll up my sleeves and go to work with everyone who will join me.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Resources
Below are links to a variety of valuable DEIB resources: