Vision, Mission, and Values

DECC Vision

The Office of Diversity, Engagement, Culture & Climate (DECC) strives to co-create an environment where faculty, students and staff in the College of Arts & Sciences from different backgrounds and experiences thrive and feel a strong sense of belonging. 

DECC Mission

The Office of Diversity, Engagement, Culture & Climate co-creates an inclusive and equitable environment by:

  • Providing opportunities for shared learning and understanding that leads to equitable, inclusive and anti-racist policies and practices.

  • Promoting equity consciousness and engagement at the college level, with the broader Louisville community and from a global and international perspective. 

  • Focusing on community and a sense of belonging through the use of restorative practices and empathy-building strategies.

  • Developing and sustaining engagement programs that empower the community and build knowledge while integrating scholarship with real-life experience. 

DECC Values

The Office of Diversity, Engagement, Culture & Climate believes that educational environments should be co-created by faculty, staff and students. We celebrate the intersectionality of social identity and acknowledge the context that our community members bring to campus. We promote shared values and a common understanding of how equity and inclusion shows up in classrooms, common spaces and work environments on campus. We understand that navigating difference poses challenges and we encourage the use of anti-racist values, restorative practices and intellectual empathy to build a greater sense of belonging for the valued members of our campus community. 

DECC Commitment to Anti-Racism: We are committed to providing the tools and resources to dismantle systemic oppression, identify and reduce curricular violence and support members of the A&S community on their anti-racist journeys.

UofL Vision Statement

The University of Louisville will be recognized as a great place to learn, discover, connect and work because we celebrate diversity, foster equity and strive for inclusion.

UofL Mission Statement

The University of Louisville pursues excellence and inclusiveness in its work to educate and serve its community through:

  1. teaching diverse undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in order to develop engaged citizens, leaders, and scholars,
  2. practicing and applying research, scholarship and creative activity, and
  3. providing engaged service and outreach that improve the quality of life for local and global communities.

The University is committed to achieving preeminence as a nationally recognized metropolitan research university.