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UND School of Law Diversity Mission Statement

The University of North Dakota School of Law is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in legal education for all persons. Further, the School recognizes the educational richness that results from including human experience from diverse perspectives. A law school community that welcomes, promotes, and respects diverse viewpoints enhances the quality of educational experiences for all those within that community, and enhances the legal profession and communities outside of the law school by preparing students to be more culturally respectful, professionally competent, and civically responsible leaders. The University of North Dakota School of Law is therefore committed to achieving a diverse law school community in terms of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender (including identity and expression), sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, veteran’s status/military status, and socioeconomic status. In furtherance of this commitment, The University of North Dakota School of Law has adopted a diversity policy to guide our efforts.

Amended by vote of the faculty on April 9, 2013; April 16, 2021; and April 22, 2022Diversity Policy

UND School of Law Diversity Policy

Develop and maintain a respectful community at the school of law that encourages and values diversity.
1. The School of Law is committed to fair and just treatment of every person at the law school. We value diversity and the individual differences that enrich the law school community. We seek to build a diverse community defined by intellectual inquiry and respect for all points of view. In accordance with these aspirations, the School of Law will strive (A) to raise awareness of the value and importance of a diverse law school community, (B) to encourage the open-mindedness essential to professional development, (C) to recruit and retain a diverse student body, faculty, and staff, and (D) to expand and develop law school services, practices, and policies that support diverse members of the law school community.
Provide a curriculum that promotes diversity and is conductive to successful teaching and learning of all law students.
1. As a part of its commitment to building and maintaining a law school climate that is inclusive, safe, and respectful of all people, the School of Law seeks to provide a course of study inside and outside of the classroom that promotes and reflects deep respect for diversity and maximizes the educational and professional development of all students. In accordance with these aspirations, the School of Law will strive to develop and maintain inclusive learning opportunities in curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular contexts that nurture diversity and explore its legal, social, and professional implications.
Develop and reinforce the law school's role as an active participant in the larger diversity community.
1. The School of Law is committed to promoting diversity at the University, state, regional, national, and international levels. In accordance with these aspirations, the School of Law will strive (A) to increase faculty, student, and staff interaction with members of diverse communities beyond the law school itself and (B) to develop diversity initiatives through external collaborative relationships.

Background

The University of North Dakota School of Law has a long-standing commitment to diversity. As the faculty reaffirmed in its most recent Diversity Mission Statement (2022):

These values are consistent with the diversity and pluralism mission statement the UND Senate and President previously released in December 2006:

The University of North Dakota takes pride in its mission to meet the individual and group needs of a diverse and pluralistic society through education, research, and service. The peoples served by and associated with the University vary widely; all must be valued for the richness their different cultures, heritages, perspectives, and ideas bring to the community. The University is in part, a conduit through which individual perspectives and global interrelationships are enhanced by a learning and teaching environment that is aware of and sensitive to the diversity of its constituents. Diversity in the University is constituted by the full participation of persons of different racial and ethnic heritage, age, gender, socioeconomic background, religion, and sexual orientation; of persons with disabilities; and of people from other countries. Of special and particular importance is the University's longstanding commitment to the education of American Indian students and the cultures and traditions of the American Indian people. In addition, the University's commitment to diversity extends to historically underrepresented populations such as African Americans, Latino Americans, and Asian Americans. Furthermore, the University embraces our international student population as they enhance the culturally rich learning environment of campus. The University is committed to providing learning and teaching experiences which enhance all students' self-determination, educational advantages, and professional opportunities. Policies and procedures of the University oblige its students, faculty, staff, and alumni to foster the awareness and sensitivity necessary for acceptance and understanding of all people in society. The University of North Dakota strongly disapproves and does not tolerate acts of racism, sexism, bigotry, harassment, and violence in any form and actively uses its human and other resources to provide opportunities for its constituents and public to learn and appreciate the values of a diverse and multicultural world.

The School of Law endorses the values embodied in these statements and seeks to further its commitment to diversity through the adoption of the above principles. Adopted by the Faculty on April 9, 2013; amended on April 16, 2021 and on April 22, 2022.