Georgia State University

The purpose of GSU's Committee on Cultural Diversity is to "advise and make recommendations to the University Senate on any matters concerning cultural diversity." Its duties include "supporting the continued diversity of incoming students and their retention by assisting the appropriate bodies."

Georgia State offers diversity training optionally to faculty.

In Fall 2020, the university would "create a Human Resources/AAEO Action Plan to review and propose policies around training, equity and inclusion" and "evaluate feasibility of implementation of mandatory bias training."

For Fall 2020, the university decided to "add training opportunities for instructors on creating inclusive learning environments in conjunction with CETL."

GSU's Anxiety Research and Treatment Lab states that it "aim[s] to promote justice and equity" in its work by utilizing "intentional, ongoing training to facilitate cultural competence and cultural humility in research."

The Black Student Achievement center at GSU "provides university-wide services and support programming in many areas, such as cultural enrichment, racial awareness, ethnicity, diversity, leadership training and organizational development."

In Fall 2020, the university decided to "mandate implicit bias training for faculty and administrator search committee chairs" and "implement series of workshops for leadership at chair level and above on DEI issues."

The university announced that, on July 27, 2020, a scholarship in honor of Myra Payne Elliott, Barbara Pace Hunt, and Iris Mae Welch would be made. This scholarship would "provide financial support to students who embody the commitment to social justice exemplified by these pioneers."

In 2018, the Andrew M. Mellon funded a $150,000 grant to GSU for "Early Identification System: Identifying High-Potential Students from Diverse Backgrounds to Support in Pathways toward Humanities PhDs."

The Humanities Inclusivity Program at GSU is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and "creates a pipeline and support network for humanities majors from underrepresented groups to enter and succeed in Master’s and PhD programs." The Program "offers a paid research assistantship for 20 students paired with GSU faculty mentors to train in their research methods and writing."

As part of GSU's Action Plan for the Recommendations of the Task Force for Racial Equality of September 2020, the president made a plan to "create a Police Action Plan that evaluates current practices to ensure equitable treatment and accountability."

Georgia State offers numerous resources to faculty for diversity in the classroom.

GSU's Black Student Achievement promotes "quality services and programs related to the retention, progression and graduation of African Americans attending Georgia State University by providing resources and advocating for their academic success, degree attainment, co-curricular involvement, cultural heritage and international and educational diversity." This includes mentoring and the Panther PRIME program for GSU's African American Male Initiative.

GSU hosts numerous events for voter engagement such as the Panther Vote Program. Additionally, events such as "Racial and Social injustice" are held by Civic Engagement.

The President announced that GSU will be seeking out a vice president of institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In Fall 2020, the university planned to "create a series of diversity dialogues to include at least one Presidential Town Hall, as well as engagement with the Center for Studies on Africa and its Diaspora."

In Fall 2020, the university decided to "engage with the Dean of the Graduate School to identify ways to create additional resources and support for graduate students who are mistreated because of racism or discrimination."

The university intends to "evaluate feasibility of inclusion of diversity module for freshmen orientation beginning as early as Fall 2021."

In 2021, the university decided to "create social justice programming and pathways for transcripts."

In the 2020-2021 academic year, the university launched Diversity Dialogues with the hopes for "bringing together the university community to discuss ways to address racism and inequality."

The university established the Provost's Visiting Scholars Program which "brings to Georgia State University promising and leading faculty from underrepresented minority groups for short-term visits."

Given that Georgia State University is a member of the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, faculty and staff have access to NCFDD diversity resources.

The university hosts a Diversity Database which is comprised of over 100 "programs, initiatives, and policies at Georgia State" that "address diversity, equity, and inclusion across numerous fields."

The university hosts numerous diversity events.

On April 24, 2023, GSU News Hub reported that "Norma M. Riccucci of Rutgers University recently presented a lecture on leadership and the relevance of critical race theory (CRT) for the launch of the Michael and Enid Mescon Leadership Lecture Series at Georgia State University."

GSU's Anxiety Research and Treatment Lab has a page dedicated to Black Lives Matter and states the following: "Black Americans have experienced pervasive discrimination and structural racism since the advent of the nation’s history. Additionally, the livelihoods of Black Americans have been inextricably linked with disparate treatment by the field of psychology. Racialized explanations for biological fitness and moral capacity(2), intelligence deficits(2), and the biased diagnosis of mental illness among Black Americans(3), are just a few examples of how the field of Psychology has perpetuated scientific racism towards this community."

GSU's Anxiety and Research Treatment Lab states that "Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental disorders, yet researchers still don’t know the answers to many of the most important questions surrounding these maladies...political, economic, and societal influences affect individuals’ behaviors, particularly those from disadvantaged and marginalized groups and especially Black, Indigenous, and People of Color." 

As a response to the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and Rayshard Brooks, the university created the Task Force for Racial Equality in June 2020.

The university will "support the USG Chancellor’s initiative to rename buildings honoring segregationists."

On May 31, 2020, the university president responded to the deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery by stating, "The senseless killings of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd have brought forward understandable pain and anger about racism and violence against black Americans."