In February 2023, Provost Wendland created the Danforth Task Force on Climate and Culture (DTFCC) to identify practices that may lead to negative outcomes, recommend best practices to prevent them, and create an inclusive environment where all can thrive.
The DTFCC’s work included conducting several focus groups, individual interviews and listening sessions to determine ways to improve faculty-mentee interactions and relationships. The group’s final report offers insights and recommendations to help ensure the Danforth Campus is a place where graduate and professional students and postdoctoral scholars of all backgrounds, identities and disciplinary orientations can succeed, thrive and experience a genuine sense of belonging.
A Danforth Campus Implementation Task Force will now carry on this important work over the next 18 months. The Implementation Task Force’s work will help all our graduate and professional students and postdoctoral scholars succeed, thrive and experience a genuine sense of belonging here at WashU. The Implementation Task Force will:
- Oversee the implementation of already approved recommendations;
- Review of all other report recommendations to better understand pathways to implementation; and
- Periodically report to the provost on progress.
Recommendations around mentoring resources and training for faculty will be reviewed through Mentoring at WashU platform under the vice provost for faculty affairs and diversity.
The Implementation Task Force will be co-chaired by Vijay Ramani, vice provost for graduate education and international affairs, and Jessica Cissell, assistant provost. This group will work in collaboration with the School of Medicine’s Implementation Task Force.
We anticipate the Danforth Implementation Task Force will conclude its work in early 2026.
| We will keep you updated on our progress. |