Declaration of Anti-Racism

Scholarship in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability (ESS) at Colorado State University (CSU) investigates the interactions between natural and human systems, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and water resources. Our service emphasizes ecosystem sustainability, social equity, and economic vitality in low-income, natural, rural, and urban systems. Our teaching educates students using a systems-based approach that acknowledges the complexity of these systems and the essential role of diverse peoples within them.

Our Commitment to Anti-Racism

The Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability unequivocally rejects racism in all forms and affirms that Colorado State University is no place for hate. We explicitly recognize the inextricable connections between race and other identities and acknowledge the negative impacts that can result from both implicit and explicit racism. We pledge to work tirelessly to eliminate all forms of racial and cultural biases within our department, across the University, throughout academia, and in our interactions beyond.

Actions to Address Racism

• We commit to creating an inclusive, welcoming, safe, and supportive environment for all students, researchers, faculty, and staff in the department.
• We strive to be a department that explicitly acknowledges the linkages between global sustainability and social equity.
• We challenge ourselves to understand and correct social and institutional inequalities within our own research, teaching, scholarship, and service to the communities of Colorado, the nation, and the world.
• We resolve to repeatedly and publicly affirm our identity as a department that celebrates the essential benefits of a diverse community and broadens perspectives on social and environmental justice within our discipline.

Reporting and Resources

All acts of racism disrupt the commitment shared by the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability and the Warner College of Natural Resources to provide a research and learning environment that is inclusive and welcoming to all.

If you experience or witness any form of racism, we encourage you to share your experience with:
Dr. Rickey Frierson, WCNR Assistant Dean
📧 [email protected] | 📞 970-491-3258

Additional resources can be found at:
Colorado State University’s Office of Equal Opportunity
📧 [email protected] | 📞 970-491-5836