Feb 22 2020
Council action
On January 25, 2020, the governing national council of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) and of Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics honor society, have approved the following statements for general dissemination. This statement was approved on February 22, 2020 and adds to the Apr 23 2016 SPS Statement on Diversity and Inclusivity and the March 15, 2019 SPS Statement on Diversity, Inclusion, Ethics, and Responsibility.
"The Society of Physics Students (SPS) welcomes all students with a passion for physics independent of identities including but not limited to race, ethnic origin, religious beliefs, gender presentation, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, age, family and socio-economic status, or cultural background. Many groups are under-represented in physics and SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma (ΣΠΣ) have not always been welcoming to diverse groups. Today all of our events are subject to our Code of Conduct, and SPS and ΣΠΣ are committed to working to correct this exclusion and will continue to update our policies and best practices in pursuit of promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity."
Comments:
The inclusion of everyone takes many forms and must be an active process that SPS leaders and members adopt. It is encouraged that an SPS chapters and members reach out to all students who might have an interest in physics. This should includes majors, minors, and those who might not realize their interest in physics yet. Some students may have limited availability but are still welcome at events. The SPS National Office encourages chapters to announce events and meetings well in advance, through several modes of communication, and make accommodations for anyone that wants to participate. While traditions and commitment to an SPS is important, so too is being inclusive of the wide variety of people within a department. Be kind and caring to all members. We are stronger together and the SPS National Office can help chapters achieve this goal. Please email sps [at] aip.org for assistance.