Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
It is our commitment to make SEAS a welcoming, safe, and supportive community for all students. It is our mission to foster equity, diversity, and inclusion to support the academic success and engagement of all members of our community. It is through this lens that we plan to cultivate successful leaders from the SEAS community and beyond.
SEAS Together Initiative
Students often see the word diversity and think it does not apply to them. However, we can all work together to make sure that SEAS is a safe, comfortable, and supportive community inclusive of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression for all undergraduate students. The SEAS Together Initiative, formerly known as the Diversity and Inclusion Initiative, was rebranded to ensure that all SEAS students know that we all work together to support each other and to give each student a voice.
SEAS Together Leadership Team
The SEAS Together Leadership team is made of group of select students, faculty and staff who are committed to the mission of the initiative. The team coordinates all aspects of the initiative including building an inclusive and support community for all students, advocates and promotes access for underrepresented students, and helps to educate and bring awareness around diversity equity and inclusive. The leadership team is key in helping to bridge the gap between SEAS administration and SEAS undergraduate students. If you are interested in getting involved with the SEAS Together Initiative, please contact: [email protected].
SEAS Together Community Resource Hub
In SEAS, we are committed to creating a welcoming and supportive community for all. Therefore, the SEAS Together Community Resource Hub is a compilation of resources and organizations in order to help students build connections. Although the list of resources are broad and diverse, we acknowledge that they do not include all available organizations on campus that foster equity, diversity, and inclusion. If you have any suggestions or would like to request an addition to this growing list, please contact us at [email protected].
- Meet the Leadership Team
Ria Vargis (She/Her)
Dean’s Fellow for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion/ SEAS Together
Brooke Duncan (She/Her)
Staff Advisor for SEAS Together
Sameen Ahmad (She/Her)
Student Coordinator for SEAS Together
- Programming Board
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Sameen (She/Her)
Chair & Student Coordinator
Alana (She/Her)
Events Co-Coordinator
Bessie (She/Her)
Events Co-Coordinator
Amarachi (She/Her)
Marketing Co-Manager
Anna (She/Her)
Marketing Co-Manager
- Asian and Pacific Islander Students
- Black Students
- African Students Association (ASA)
- Black Community
- Black Defiance
- Black Girl Mentorship Program
- Black Student Union
- Black Women’s Forum (BWF) GWU
- DREAMS
- GWU Black Men’s Initiative
- GWU Chapter of the NAACP
- GW Women of Color
- National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) GWU
- National Pan-Hellenic Council
- National Society of Black Engineers
- The Black Ace Magazine
- The Ethiopian-Eritrean Students Association (EESA) at GWU
- The George Washington Williams House
- UBUNTU
- XOLA
- Young Black Professionals in International Affairs
- Commuter Students
- First Generation Students
- International Students
- Latinx Students
- LGBTQIA+ Students
- Middle Eastern Students
- Military Veteran Students
- Native American Students
- Religious and Faith
- South Asian Students
- Transfer Students
- Women in STEM
Being an Ally and Advocate
We can all work together to build a community that is safe and inclusive for all. As an ally and advocate it is important we are open and continuously learning. Therefore we compiled some educational resources on a variety of topics under the umbrella of equity, diversity, and inclusion for you to begin or continue your journey. If you have any suggestions or would like to request an addition to this growing list, please contact us at [email protected].
- Educational Resources
- 5 Things Everyone Should Know About Racism
- 5 Tips for Being an Ally
- American Society for Engineering Education: Diversity and Inclusion Initiative
- Cracking the Cody in Allyship
- Deconstructing Racism, One Headline at a Time (TEDTalk)
- How to Overcome our Biases
- Importance of Using Inclusive Language
- Intersectionality
- Living While Black (TEDTalk)
- Microaggressions
- Microaggressions Are Like Mosquito Bites
- National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education
- National Museum of African American History and Culture: Talking about Race
- ODECE: Resources on the Black Experience
- Racial Equity Tools: Unlocking the Invisible Knapsack
- What is Inclusive Language
- Land and Labor Acknowledgement Resources
As leaders it is important to identify and acknowledge harm and although these acknowledgements alone are not sufficient to repair the harm in which they describe. However, they are an essential initial step to honor members of these communities in our hope to create a more inclusive and diverse community. There are a number of resources to develop these type of acknowledgements including the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture as well as The George Washington University Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities who adapted versions of a Land Acknowledgement and Labor Acknowledgement with additional resources on their website as part of their commitment to restorative justice.
Resources to Help You Succeed
- Academic & Career Resources
GW and SEAS offer students a number of free academic and career resources. We recommend that you use these resources to help you make the most of your college experience.
- Meet with your Professional/Faculty Advisors
- Utilize various academic support resources including the Academic Commons
- Request an academic success coach to help you optimize your time management skills, study skills, note-taking strategies, and more
- Take advantage of both SEAS Career Services and Career Services resources
- Meet with the GW career coach to discuss your career goals and plans
- Use Handshake, GW’s online career management system to look for jobs, internships, workshops and more
- See a select list of national internships
- Student Support and Engagement Resources
GW provides students with a variety of support and engagement resources to help you succeed. Below is a list of some of the resources available to GW students:
- Colonial Health Center
- Counseling and Psychological Services
- Disability Support Services (DSS)
- International Services Office (ISO)
- Office of Student Financial Assistance
- Office of Military and Veterans Affairs
- The Store, GW’s student-run food pantry
- GW Student Life
- GW Multicultural Student Services Center (MSSC)
- Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement
- Office of Student Success
- Scholarship & Fellowship Opportunities
Whether you are a prospective undergraduate considering applying to GW or current SEAS undergraduate who is looking for funding for your undergraduate study or considering applying to graduate study, we have information on scholarships and fellowships that may be appropriate for you. Visit our Financial Aid and Scholarships page to learn more
- Name Change Resources
To ensure all members of our community feel welcome, GW has two approaches to the name change policy which includes (1) GWeb (Class Rosters and Blackboards), GWorld, and GWmail; and (2) transcripts, graduation papers, and other official documents. These processes are outlined below:
Changes to GWeb, GWorld, and GWMail
- Log onto GWeb -> CLICK “Student Record and Registration” -> CLICK “Student Records Information Menu” -> CLICK “View/Update Preferred First Name” -> Add your preferred name and save it.
- Contact the GWorld Office and be sure to have your old GWorld available. Tell them you’d like to update your GWorld to match your preferred name (for FREE). They will review with you the process from there.
- After the update has been made in GWeb, you can email GWIT via [email protected] and request your email account be updated to match your preferred name.
Transcripts, Diploma, and Employment Records
In order to change your name on your transcripts, diploma, or employment records, you must legally change your name. After a legal name change is documented, your name can be changed on all official documents. If you are an alumnus, you can also request an updated diploma with your current legal name. For both, you will need to fill out the Request For Name Update form. After the form is complete, contact the Office of the Registrar and a university official will review with you the rest of the process.
Reporting a Bias Related Incident
It is our hope that all members of our community feel responsible for the well-being of each and every student. We strongly encourage students, faculty, and staff to report possible bias incidents. The Bias Incident Response Team will evaluate your report and determine the best way to respond.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or want to meet with a staff person, please email [email protected].