Equity is about more than just equality. It’s about ensuring that everyone has the right and the opportunity to be successful. It’s about building an environment where administrators, faculty, students, and staff are able to participate fully and thrive.
Equity must exist on three levels: within the organization, within teams, and among individuals.
Organization – Johns Hopkins University demonstrates its commitment to equity by:
- Removing barriers and obstacles that prevent employees from attaining leadership positions
- Making sure that all people at Hopkins are able to pursue their career goals and feel welcomed, whatever their gender, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression
Team – Every member of your team, including the managers or supervisors, should demonstrate a commitment to equity by:
- Providing all employees with the opportunity to maximize their potential
- Ensuring that all employees have an equal chance of promotion
- Making sure that the work is distributed fairly among everyone on the team
- Working hard at their jobs so that nobody ends up doing more than their share
Individual – Equity is not just about what’s given to you. It’s also about what you owe to others. You can help to promote equity by:
- Encouraging everyone to participate and share his or her opinions
- Helping to support others and making contributions where needed
- Treating everyone fairly and honestly, while appreciating the qualities that make each person unique
Remember, equity is about being fair. Being fair means treating people even handedly and making a commitment to defend everyone’s right to receive just treatment.
