Translation is an indispensable catalyst for diversity, equity and inclusion in the global society. As students and practitioners of translation, we are keenly aware that fostering diversity, equity and inclusion requires constant self-reflection and active commitment. Since translation often engages inequalities—linguistic, social, political, cultural, etc.—, it provides us with a critical and expressive medium through which we both get to understand these inequalities and can attempt to rectify them as best as possible.

Our efforts to create a hospitable environment for everyone requires that we remain open to changing ourselves, often in quite fundamental ways—how we speak, how we listen, how we honor our long-held commitments while extending the same to others, even—and especially—when their commitments and values conflict with ours.

To this end, we cultivate an ethics of openness, empathy and coexistence.

The principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are fundamental to the mission of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Iowa, as we conduct our work in the context of the whole of humanity.

• In our teaching, we draw on, explore, and question every facet of human experience and understanding.
• In our scholarship, scientific inquiry, and artistry, we create new knowledge and insight, reflecting and shaping the cultures and societies in which human lives unfold.
• In our service to Iowans, we collaborate with communities to solve critical problems arising from inequity.

DEI values are inseparable from those of the liberal arts tradition. To fully realize our college’s critical mission of advancing human understanding within that tradition, we must actualize these values in every aspect of our decision-making and every area of our academic community.