Office of Inclusive Excellence
The College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services and Information Technology (CECH), at the University of Cincinnati, serves as a model of and resource for diversity that actively supports, empowers, prepares, respects, and celebrates all students, staff, faculty, and community members by advancing, sustaining and promoting diversity and inclusion in our personal reflections, intellectual pursuits, and professional development.
CECH invests in every student’s potential and supports them as they follow their passions. At CECH, we realize the impact our students have on our community and beyond. We aspire to empower our students and become future leaders of tomorrow. To us, education is not about what you can learn in the classroom; rather, the possibilities for sparking a new era of innovation and impact. Collectively, we are committed to creating a community built on equity, justice, culture, belonging and inclusion for all.
Inclusion Statement
Here in CECH, we seek to educate and develop engaged citizens, who will undoubtedly enrich our local community and global society. Whether those impacts are made in classrooms, communities, clinics, or in research, CECH is proud to be a space that encourages diversity in thought and experience.
Our college strives to be representative of all:
- races
- color
- religion
- age
- political affiliation
- ethnicities
- gender identities
- socioeconomic status
- level of ability/disablity
- nationalities/country of origin/national origin
- marital or family status
- sexual orientations
- veteran status
While we know this list is not complete, CECH is committed to cultivating an inclusive environment and to developing the skills needed to transform the world.
Land Acknowledgment
We respectfully acknowledge that we are on the traditional, ancestral lands of the Wahzhazhe (Osage), Myaamia (Miami), Shawandasse Tula (Shawnee), and Kaskaskia (Peoria) Nations. These peoples, in addition to the ancient Adena and Hopewell cultures, lived and thrived here before being subjected to forcible removal and genocide. As we reflect on the Nations whose land we appropriated, it is also critical to acknowledge that Native peoples are still here.
The legacy of displacement and subjugation disproportionally affects Native communities and families to this day, as they continue to fight for the sovereignty of their Nations and the retention of their tribal lands.
Learning our land’s history is not enough. A shared commitment to learning about and supporting Native nations, organizations, and causes is also an important way to acknowledge the land on which our city was built and the Native peoples who were displaced from it. Further, we acknowledge the institutional, socioeconomic, physical, psychological and emotional wounds and inequalities that remain in existence as a result of these inhumane and reprehensible crimes.
Written by staff and faculty from the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services & Information Technology and UC Libraries, spring 2023.
To learn more about the land we’re on here in Greater Cincinnati and the Nations from whom this land was appropriated, we recommend these resources for further reading and exploration:
- Native Land
- Greater Cincinnati Native American Coalition (now Urban Native Collective)
- Native Governance Center
- National Congress of American Indians
Territories Maps and Further Information:
- Osage Territories Map and Websites
- Myaamia Territories Map and Websites
- Shawandasse Tula Territories Map and Websites
- Kaskaskia Territories Map and Websites
- Adena Culture Territories Map and Information
- Hopewell Culture Territories Map and Information
Pronunciation Guide:
Wahzhazhe wah-zaw-zhee
Myaamia my-ah-mia
Shawandasse Tula shah-whan-deiz too-luh
Kaskaskia ka-ska-skee-uh
Adena uh-de-nuh
Hopewell hohp-wel