Our Positionality Statement
At the University of Washington Libraries, we believe that design is not a neutral or objective practice. This belief extends to the ways in which we design learning experiences for our students. We commit ourselves to a transparent design process in order to provide context for design decisions made in the Graduate Student Researcher Institute. And in this belief, we commit ourselves to engage in reflexivity throughout the design process and understand that our positionality influences our interpretations and understandings of the content within this course and shapes our worldview.
As content authors, we prioritize the research needs of Black, Indigenous and Students of Color (BIPOC) in making updates to GSRI and other online research workshops. We actively work to diversify course materials so that they are better representative of BIPOC identities, thoughts, and contributions; and make spaces that allow and encourage mentorship and support for BIPOC students. We center anti-racism in our individual and collective work on behalf of the UW communities we serve. Our intention is towards power sharing and using our resources to better the research and learning experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People Of Color (BIPOC) students, staff, and faculty at UW.