The Division for Justice, Equity, and Antiracism

Leading the collective work to transform Hampshire College into an actively liberatory and anti-oppressive community, the Division of Justice, Equity, and Antiracism equips students, staff, and faculty to question, challenge, and change existing cultures, structures, practices, and systems so as to redistribute power equitably.

This includes racial, ethnic, gender, disability, and class diversity, as well as diversity based on sexual orientation. The primary mission is to safeguard campus wellbeing as it relates to diversity issues. Responsibilities include serving as an information clearinghouse for the whole community with regards to resources and opportunities related to diversity; sponsoring and organizing academic and cultural activities around these same topics; and supporting the work of the faculty on curricular and pedagogical innovations that advance the representation of traditionally marginalized or underrepresented groups in the academic program. The office also assists with the creation of opportunities for students to engage such issues in settings inside and outside the United States, including field studies, study abroad programs, and internships.

Students are encouraged to make use of the office as an advising resource about faculty programs, and events — on and off campus — dealing with issues of diversity in order to facilitate and enrich their academic objectives. The office will also provide guidance and support for students with questions about the multiple cultural perspectives requirement and can help students strategize about how to incorporate the requirement effectively into their Division II concentrations.

Diversity Statement

Hampshire College values diversity because it enriches our campus community and advances our intellectual and creative endeavors. Diversity encompasses multiple and intersecting identities including but not limited to race, class, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, religious expression, physical and mental abilities, military/veteran status, and political expression.

Hampshire aspires to foster a welcoming community inclusive of individuals from an array of backgrounds and perspectives who share a commitment to all forms of anti-oppression, social justice, respectful discourse and engagement. We believe that diversity is central to the academic and work experience and campus culture and therefore, we recognize that recruitment, retention, and support of a diverse community are fundamental responsibilities related to the sustainability of the College.

Diversity is at the core of our collaborative, creative, inquiry-based model of education. Our pedagogy depends upon the free and open exchange of ideas informed by different perspectives, fields, and methodologies. We offer an interdisciplinary education that is inclusive of the knowledge and experiences of groups who have been historically underrepresented in academy. Together, we strive to be a community of scholars and artists engaged in respectful exchange of different perspectives and ways of being, and critical and analytical thought: essential factors for transformative learning.