Equity and Inclusion
Dr. Imani Perry to Headline 5th Annual Equity & Inclusion Conference
Welcome Message from the Vice President for Equity and Inclusion

Keith V. Johnson, PhD
Vice President for Equity and Inclusion
Welcome to East Tennessee State University's Office of Equity and Inclusion. One of our premier missions is to build awareness of equity and inclusion institution wide, thereby affirming the educational value of a diverse and fully inclusive campus community. We aspire to become a campus enriched by persons of different backgrounds, points of view, cultures, socioeconomic statuses, and other diverse characteristics by infusing inclusion into all aspects of university life.
We are an ever-evolving university entity as we process change, development, and transformation,
not only within the realm of the department, but throughout the campus community.
Already, we have experienced success in our endeavors as the Equity and Inclusion
Plan for our institution unfolds. We extend a warm “thank you” to a willing, high-performing
faculty, staff and administration as we move forward toward an inviting climate of
inclusion that will be woven into the fabric of the university.
Equity and Inclusion 2021 Data
- ETSU Demographics and Preliminary HEED Survey Results June 2021
- Recorded Presentation of ETSU Demographics and Preliminary HEED Survey Results June 2021
- HEDS Diversity and Equity Campus Climate Survey
- Memo about 2020-21 D&E Data vs Prior Years August 27, 2021
Other University Resources:
Clemmer College Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
College of Arts and Sciences Equity and Inclusion
Disability Services
Dr. Patricia Robertson Pride Center
ETSU Access
Faculty/Staff LGBTQ+ Association
Mary V. Jordan Multicultural Center
Military and Veteran Services
Safe Zone
University Compliance
Women and Gender Resource Center
Commitment to Equal Opportunity
It is the policy of East Tennessee State University not to discriminate on the basis of: race; color; religion; national origin; ethnicity; age; sex; physical or mental disability; pregnancy status; marital status; sexual orientation; gender identity; gender expression; genetic information; or covered veteran’s status in its admissions policies and all its departments, activities or employment practices.
Our policy is in compliance with the requirements of: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; regulations of the Internal Revenue Service; and all other applicable federal, state and local statutes, ordinances and regulations.
Equity & Inclusion Land Acknowledgement
ETSU is a community of educators and learners residing on the ancestral homeland of the Cherokee, also known as the Tsalagi people. The Cherokee constituted one of the largest politically integrated tribes at the time of European colonization of the Americas. At the time of their forced removal, the Cherokee numbered some 50,000 individuals who controlled 40,000 square miles of the Appalachian Mountains, in parts of present-day Georgia, east Tennessee, western North and South Carolina, and northeast Alabama. Over the years, the tribe lost many of its people to wars and to diseases brought by the settlers. Many of the Cherokee people walked the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma. And those who stayed here, now reside in western North Carolina, and are known as the Eastern Band of Cherokee. Our hope is that this acknowledgment serves as a reminder to all of us to recognize how we came to be here today, and to honor those who were here before us. And it is a call to action for us to care for the land on which our campus resides. Consistent with our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, understanding the historical and current experiences of people who are Indigenous to this land, which many call Turtle Island, will help inform the work we do. Written by, Dr. Adrianna Guram and Dr. Debi Thibault |