Multiculturalism and Diversity

Diversity Mission Statement

The Department of Psychology at Bemidji State University is dedicated to preparing students who will apply their psychological knowledge in an increasingly diverse world. We strive to create and sustain a welcoming, supportive and inclusive environment.

Accomplishing this mission requires a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds. Diversity enriches both our department and the science of psychology. We strive to cultivate an inclusive community that values diverse questions, viewpoints, approaches, and participants to foster ingenuity, challenge biases, and promote intellectual growth.

Therefore, it is important to us to attract individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, including undergraduate majors, faculty, staff, and student workers. The Department seeks applicants from all races and ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and religions.

Within the Psychology Department, our efforts to promote diversity are led by our Diversity Committee, a group of faculty and students who coordinate and oversee continuing efforts to build our community, with consultation from undergraduate students. This commitment to diversity is part of a broader effort at Bemidji State that includes campus resources such as the Center for Diversity and Inclusion and American Indian Resource Center, and student groups such as the Council of Indian Students, and International Student Organization, and the Phoenix (supporting LGBTQIA2+ students).

We have five primary goals to support our commitment to diversity:

1. Create and sustain a welcoming supportive, and inclusive departmental climate.
2. Attract and retain greater numbers of individuals from under-represented populations into faculty (particularly Dept. Chairs, directors, deans and vice chancellors).
3. Attract, retain, & graduate increasing numbers of students from historically under-represented populations & international students.
4. Ensure that curricular requirements reflect the Department’s commitment to diversity & social justice
5. Prepare students to become professionals in a diverse world

See our department’s BSU Psychology Diversity Strategic Plan for information on the objectives, strategies, and benchmarks for meeting our commitments to diversity.

Multicultural Coursework

Because we recognize that culture is vital in understanding human behavior, discussion of culture, diversity, and the effects of prejudice, discrimination, and oppression are incorporated into individual courses. In addition, the department offers several courses in which cultural factors are a primary focus. Examples include: