Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Statement

At Union College, we strive to enhance our vibrant learning and working community that promotes *diversity, equity, inclusion and a sense of belonging both inside and outside the classroom. Leading with wisdom, empathy and courage, we share the responsibility of creating a welcoming environment where each and every person at Union is respected and valued.

We recognize that building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community is a continual process requiring an examination of our own perspectives and a willingness to explore wide-ranging perspectives. We challenge each member of the campus and broader community to contribute to an honest, critical, open and sustained engagement with our institutional history and current practices, as we prepare for multiple tomorrows.

• We recognize the opportunities before us, as a community committed to the pursuit of wisdom, extending our knowledge and awareness of others.
• We approach divergent ideas, personal and cultural differences with empathy and actively work to understand and respect others’ experiences and perspectives.
• We act with the courage to do what one believes to be right and important not just popular and easy. We recognize the growth opportunity that comes with becoming comfortable being uncomfortable.

*DEI definition by Association of American Colleges & Universities

We acknowledge that we live, work, and study at Union College on the traditional homelands that were originally peopled by the Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee), including the Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, and other tribes. What we call Schenectady is a Dutch version of a Mohawk word skahnéhtati, meaning 'The Place Beyond the Pines.' As a College, we honor the land itself with gratitude and acknowledge the people who have stewarded the land, lost lives, and had their land taken unjustly throughout the ages.

Pronunciation Guide

Cayuga (ka-yu-ga) - People of the Wetlands

Mohawk (mow-haak) - People of the Flint Stone Place

Oneida (ow-nai-duh) - Long Awaited

Onondaga (on-uhn-daa-guh) - People of the Hills

Seneca (seh-nuh-kuh) - People of the Standing Rock

Haudenosaunee (hoh-dee-noh-shoh-nee) - People of the Longhouse

Skahnéhtati (ska-nah-tai-ti) - Place Between the Pines