Our Values

The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS) and the program in Environmental Science and Engineering (ESE) constitute a vibrant academic, professional, and social environment. A healthy and positive work environment is an essential foundation for teaching, learning, and undertaking cutting-edge research. Where we work and how we interact with those around us are an important influence on the quality of our work. Having a diverse and inclusive community, where every member is valued and treated with respect, is a central goal. All members of our community should have a rewarding experience with equal opportunities for success.


With this in mind, we commit ourselves to living out the following four principles as central to our work and our interactions:

Excellence

  • We are committed to providing world-class instruction and producing world-class research in the Earth and Planetary Sciences and in Environmental Science and Engineering.
  • We think critically about our own research and the work of others. We seek out and receive constructive criticism from those around us and make sure to critique ideas, not individuals.
  • We prepare our students and postdocs for successful careers within and outside of academia.
  • We support intellectual and academic freedom for all members of our community.
  • We recognize that our institution is enriched by a wide range of perspectives and experiences and actively seek to create an environment where all feel included and heard, including amplifying the voices of underrepresented members of our community. Excellence is most readily achieved when everyone has a seat at the table.
  • We recognize the societal impacts of our research, and value work that supports a healthy and just relationship with the environment for all people.
  • Excellence requires integrity. We give credit where credit is due, both in formal published research and in more informal settings.
  • Excellence is at the top of our hierarchy of needs and dependent upon community, respect and well-being. By integrating these values, we contribute to the excellence of those around us and the department as a whole.

Community

  • Researchers in our department come from a variety of academic backgrounds and are pursuing a wide range of fields of study. We see this diversity as an opportunity for new ideas to form and unique collaborations to develop, and we celebrate one another’s research.
  • We recognize that academic pursuits are not exclusively individual endeavors. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
  • Presence is an important part of building community. We recognize that this is not always possible, but we endeavor to meet in person with our colleagues when feasible. This goes a long way in humanizing our interactions. We seek to include those who cannot be physically present in community events.
  • We exercise empathy and humility when interacting with others, especially in cross-cultural contexts.
  • Our community is not restricted to the walls of the physical space where we work. It extends to conferences, classes in other departments, visits to other institutions and work in the field. In many ways, we are representatives of our community wherever we go.
  • We celebrate the multiple dimensions of diversity that each member of our community offers, including diversity of personal identity, background, perspective, and lived experience.

Respect

  • We recognize the dignity and worth of each member of our community – graduate and undergraduate students, post-docs and research scientists, collaborators, faculty, staff, campus operations, and the custodial team. All of our interactions should uphold that dignity.
  • We are committed to ensuring every member of our community is respected. Discrimination and harassment have no place in our community.
  • The relationship between a mentor and a mentee is one of the most foundational interactions in an academic environment. We listen and learn from one another, even as we recognize the different roles and responsibilities that each must uphold.
  • We recognize that time is a finite resource, and so we respect the time and energy of our colleagues.
  • We respect the boundaries that our colleagues place on their work-life balance. We do our best to communicate clearly our expectations for work goals, time spent working or vacationing.
  • As geoscientists, our scholarship, and research is connected to Indigenous lands, and we endeavor to understand this history, as well as support and credit Indigenous peoples both on campus and in the field.

Well-Being

  • Pursuing joy and meaning outside of the workplace, and supporting others in doing so, is inherently important.
  • Work should be balanced with rest and recreation.
  • We support our colleagues not only in their research endeavors but also wanting them to flourish as people.
  • The health and safety of members of our community in the field, lab, and elsewhere is always a priority.

For more information and details on our commitment, please see the following resources:

Acknowledgements:

  • MIT Department of Chemistry Community Values Statements
  • Harvard Forest Mission, Vision and Values Statement
  • CBI report
  • Graduate student town halls
  • Harvard Forest
  • Faculty meetings