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Diversity, Inclusion, and Ethics

As a premier professional society, GSA has taken concrete steps to improve diversity, in the report highlight information and
inclusion, and ethics within its ranks. Examples include investing in On To the Future, trends involving the concerns that have
adopting an enforceable code of ethics, prohibiting alcohol at poster sessions, and been brought to GSA’s attention since
increasing representation of women and diverse scientists on GSA Council. Despite 2017. The report also discusses the disci-
such actions, there is a persistent lack of diversity in the geosciences, and GSA plinary action GSA has taken to enforce
recognizes the need to do more to change our own institution and lead change in ethics policy violations, including ban-
the geoscience profession. This update shares selected accomplishments we have ning offenders from GSA meetings and
made over the past year in accordance with the goals set forth in our decadal terminating the membership and fellow-
strategic plan, as well as our outlook for the future. ship status of members found to have vio-
lated GSA’s Code of Ethics for misconduct
SELECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS continues to meet and is working on specific at their home institutions.
Training and Awareness recommendations, which will be presented
GSA published an anti-racism guide to GSA’s executive director. Events Code of Conduct
(https://www.geosociety.org/GSA/About/ (https://www.geosociety.org/GSA/
Diversity/GSA/About/reading.aspx) to NSF Grant to Support Diversity and Events/EventConductCode/GSA/Events/
help individuals focus on the steps they Inclusion Conduct.aspx). GSA is committed to
may choose to take to begin tackling sys- GSA, in partnership with the University fostering a respectful, inclusive environ-
temic racism. GSA hosted several implicit of Arkansas, University of Florida, James ment at all GSA events from small gather-
bias workshops facilitated by ADVANCEgeo Madison University, and the University of ings, committee meetings, and field trips
to give members tools to evaluate their Texas at Austin, was awarded a National to large in-person and online meetings.
behavior and identify ways to knock down Science Foundation grant known as We recently revamped the events code to
systemic barriers relating to the recruit- the Geosciences Associated Societies improve awareness of the behaviors we
ment and selection of leaders, committee Committed to Embracing and Normalizing encourage and those we will not tolerate.
members, grantees, and others. GSA also Diversity Research Coordination Network
engaged Dr. Nita Mosby Tyler of The (Geosciences ASCEND RCN). This will be OUTLOOK
Equity Project to facilitate an all-staff an action-based network with three pri- GSA will continue to make justice, equity,
development workshop on diversity, mary objectives: (1) to advance and acceler- diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) a priority in
equity, and inclusion. ate cultural change in geosciences, (2) to the coming year. GSA Council recently
broaden participation of diverse identities approved a report by an ad hoc committee
GSA Staff URGE Pod in geoscience, and (3) to create a more comprised of GSA staff and members—the
Several GSA staff members formed a inclusive discipline in which all people GSA Diversity Working Group—to distill the
learning group, or pod, as part of the are invited to participate and contribute. Society’s goals for diversity and inclusion
Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE) and to provide a road map of key tangible
initiative. The pod has met regularly over 2020 Annual Ethics Report actions and success metrics to guide GSA in
the past several months to discuss and (https://www.geosociety.org/documents/ meeting those goals. Based on that report,
assess how to promote a culture of diversity, gsa/about/ethics/2020-annual-ethics Council approved several recommendations
equity, and inclusion (DEI) at GSA’s head- -report.pdf). GSA published this annual that will be operationalized over the next
quarters and to identify areas where staff report to provide our members and others 12 months. One such recommendation
can take action to work against the effects in the geoscience community with trans- includes increased funding for a new full-
of racism and support the participation and parent information about our ethics poli- time diversity officer, who will be charged
retention of Black, Indigenous, and People of cies, the types of concerns being raised, with developing and implementing a com-
Color (BIPOC) in the geosciences. The pod and how GSA has resolved them. Charts prehensive JEDI strategy.

FY21 HIGHLIGHTS:

• Several GSA staff participated in the learning pod • GSA hosted implicit bias workshops and an equity
“Unlearning Racism in Geoscience” (URGE) workshop

• GSA was awarded an NSF grant known as the • GSA published an Annual Ethics Report
Geosciences Associated Societies Committed to
Embracing and Normalizing Diversity Research • The Events Code of Conduct was updated
Coordination Network (Geosciences ASCEND RCN)

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