Belonging in ChE

The Department of Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University has long been committed to fostering a community of belonging to advance teaching and research. We value our past, present, and future communities and the wide range of perspectives that these groups entail. We are stronger as a result of the varied backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that all members of our global community bring to the pursuit of knowledge.

With this in mind, we have put forth the following guidelines:

• We established a Chemical Engineering Belonging Committee. The committee charge is to propose actionable goals to enhance belonging in the department broadly. The committee also shall advise the Department Chairperson on mechanisms and goals related to chemical engineering students, staff, and faculty for fostering a community of belonging.
• The Committee has developed CHEMEUNITY. Under this umbrella:
  • We have had open discussions about our classrooms and education to enhance belonging for all students.
  • We sponsored “meet the faculty” lunches for incoming sophomores.
  • Requested that all undergraduate courses be reviewed for outcomes related to belonging.
• We will host Town Halls each semester for two-way communication about what’s happening within the department and listening to student, staff, and faculty concerns.
• We are intentional about our seminar invitations to include a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives, research areas, and industries. We seek requests for speakers from faculty and students.
• We established groups within Canvas for both undergraduate and graduate students to inform and store information regarding announcements and general communications.
• We implemented Exit Surveys for all of our programs.
• The Graduate Committee put forth recommendations for and implemented:
  • Holistic application review
  • Removing the GRE from any consideration in admissions
  • All graduate students perform a review each semester to assess their progress and set goals; this assessment is reviewed by and approved by the faculty advisor.
  • Focused sessions at graduate open house to share how we foster a community of belonging.
• The Undergraduate Committee put forth recommendations for and implemented:
  • A review of the course outcomes in all core undergraduate courses to revise or implement a belonging component in each course
  • A teaching retreat for all instructors to share and develop belonging assessment practices
  • Guidelines for faculty advisors to better know and share belonging resources for students
  • Means to better document students involved in research to ensure opportunities are better made available for all students