The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Council works closely with the Inclusion, Diversity and Equity in Astronomy (IDEA) group in a shared leadership model where students, postdocs, faculty and staff work together in a number of directions to improve Department culture.
Currently, the EDI Council is organized into Working Groups based on the petition Demands for Supporting Black Astronomers and Physicists at the University of Chicago presented to the Department on June 8, 2020. The Council is working in the following areas, with a focus on making the Department a more welcoming place for Black astronomers:
- Create a comprehensive Department Code of Conduct
- Commit to Department-wide anti-racist training
- Conduct a Department climate survey
- Improve the graduate admission process
- Establish a bridge program
- Improve the graduate student mentoring and advising program
- Improve relationship with surrounding Black neighborhoods
- Financially support IDEA seminars