TOS JEDI Committee

Specifically, the TOS JEDI Committee works to:

1. Advise TOS Council on good practices to improve outreach, recruitment, retention, promotion, and inclusion of diverse individuals in our membership
2. Advise the broader ocean science community in how to dismantle barriers to equitable participation and promote benefit-sharing
3. Foster a community dialogue around justice and equity in ocean science
4. Provide safe space for supporting those who feel discrimination, and honor the feedback we receive;
5. Hold ourselves accountable to fully integrate pro-equity and inclusivity core values;
6. Support and amplify ongoing efforts in the field to accomplish the above.

> Terms of Reference

The JEDI Committee consists of at least six (6), and no more than ten (10) volunteers from TOS membership. The committee make-up ideally includes a spectrum of representation of TOS members (e.g., career stage, identities, nationalities, geographic regions). The TOS At-Large Councilor and the newly created JEDI Councilor will be additional members of the committee in an ex officio capacity. The JEDI Committee will be co-chaired by two TOS members who have demonstrated experience and interest in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in geosciences. See current members below:

Susanne Craig, Chair, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/UMBC
Mona Behl, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant
Logan Brenner, Barnard College
Erin Meyer-Gutbrod, University of South Carolina
Jule Middleton, University of California Santa Barbara
Frank Müller-Karger, University of South Florida, College of Marine Science
Charitha Pattiaratchi, The University of Western Australia
James Pierson, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Sheri White, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Interested in joining the committee? Scroll down to the “JOINING THE COMMITTEE” section and learn more.

The JEDI Committee holds monthly meetings of 60-90 minutes to discuss committee business, led by the Committee Co-Chairs or representatives that they designate. Meetings will take place virtually unless otherwise noted.

> SEPTEMBER 2024. It Takes a Village: The Sea of Technical, Administrative, and Other Support Colleagues Who Enable Ocean Science

> JUNE 2024. In Pursuit of Conference Equity

> MARCH 2024. Transitioning to a Career Outside of Academia: A Short Guide for Students and Early Career Researchers

> DECEMBER 2023. JEDI Events and Programming for OSM 2024

> NOVEMBER 2023. Transitioning to a Career Outside of Academia: A Short Guide for Students and Early Career Researchers

> MAY 2023. Unpaid Internships Are a Barrier to Diverse and Equitable Recruitment in Marine Science

> MARCH 2023. Relevance of the Guru-Shishya Parampara to Modern-Day Mentorship

> DECEMBER 2022. Limited Opportunities and Numerous Barriers to Ocean Science Careers in Under-Resourced Nations

> SEPTEMBER 2022. Broadening Participation in TOS Through Honors Nominations and Awards

> JUNE 2022. Science in Service of Our Communities

> SEPTEMBER 2021. JEDI Events and Programming for OSM 2022

> JUNE 2021. A Short Glossary of Inclusive Language

> MARCH 2021. TOS Expands Efforts to Promote Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Ocean Sciences

As part of the the JEDI Committee’s work to advise the broader ocean science community in how to dismantle barriers to equitable participation and promote benefit-sharing, we offer links to the resources below.

GENERAL

> Community Perspectives on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Ocean Sciences: A Town Hall Discussion

> Strategies for Increasing Diversity in the Ocean Science Workforce through Mentoring

> The Ocean Science Social Diversity Challenge

> No Progress in Diversity in 40 Years

> Geo-Needs: Stakeholder Needs Assessment for Broadening Participation in the Geoscience Workforce

FOR FACULTY

> The Science of Effective Mentoring in STEMM: Mentorship, Identity and STEMM

> Hiring and recruitment recommendations

> Maintaining an Environment of Respect Aboard Ships (in USA)

FOR STUDENTS AND EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS

> List of funding opportunities and fellowships

FOR ANYONE

> Unlearning Racism in Geoscience

> Advice on acquiring visas

AFFINITY GROUPS
The following affinity groups provide support and resources those with identities that are historically excluded in ocean sciences.

> Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Geosciences

> Black in Marine Science

> Black in Geoscience

> Black Women in Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Science

> Earth Science Women’s Network

> GeoLatinas

> International Association for Geoscience Diversity

> Pride In STEM

> R-Ladies Global

> Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science

> Society for Women in Marine Science

> VanguardSTEM

> Women of Color & Non-Binary People in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

The TOS Values Statement guides Council and Committee activities, and all members abide by the TOS Policy on Professional Integrity, Ethics, and Conduct. All meetings are conducted adhering to “rules of engagement” detailed below.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

In addition to the formal TOS Policy, members of this group abide by the following “rules of engagement” (inspired by suggestions from Unlearning Racism in Geoscience deliverables and the Inclusive Scientific Meetings guide prepared by 500 Women Scientists).

1. We strive to dismantle imbalances of power and privilege during our interactions. Such examples include, but are not limited to, imbalanced dynamics that may occur between:

a. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and white committee members
b. Late and early career committee members
c. Those that are comfortable expressing their opinions and those that are not
d. People of different genders and gender identities
e. Members facing audio/visual/mobility challenges and those who do not

2. We strive not to invalidate anyone else’s story with our own spin.

3. We assume that everyone has good intentions and yet that they can still unintentionally hurt others with their statements.

4. During meetings, we strive to be conscious of body language and non-verbal responses that may indicate feelings of disrespect or harm, and we strive to create welcoming and accessible synchronous and asynchronous meeting spaces so that committee members can contribute fully and to the best of their abilities.

5. We recognize and respect that stories, opinions and reflections shared in committee meetings can be very personal and make individuals vulnerable.

6. We agree to maintain confidentiality to protect and value every committee member’s vulnerability. All stories and opinions shared during committee meetings and deliberations cannot be shared, posted, or copied outside the committee without permission by the person who shared the story or opinion.

7. We strive to create a culture of independent decision-making and respectful dissent. To this end, committee members are encouraged to respectfully challenge assumptions and ideas without personal attack, and communicate without being defensive.

8. We are open to being held accountable to our actions and words.

9. We agree that openly and passively aggressive interactions have no place in this committee. This applies to all modes of communication – in person, virtual meetings, email, Slack, etc. Examples include sarcasm, feigned surprise, speaking over others, centering whiteness, or other similar harmful behavior. Anyone engaging in such behavior will be respectfully, but firmly, counseled by any committee member to desist, regroup, and reflect. We agree to pause and address such warning signs.

10. We strive to speak from our own experiences instead of generalizing (i.e. “I” instead of “they”, “we”, “you”)

11. We will strive to listen actively and respect others when they are talking; and to ensure that all individuals have an opportunity to have their voice heard.

12. While we will strive to agree, we recognize that the goal is not agreement, but rather to gain a deeper understanding together.

13. We will remind ourselves of these ground rules at the start of each year.

The Oceanography Society provides opportunities for members to gain valuable leadership experience while supporting the society’s mission and values by appointment to the TOS JEDI Committee. Committee members are appointed, and terms of service vary according to each group.

SCHEDULE
The self-nomination process for Committee appointments begins in the summer. Review and election/selection occurs in the fall. The terms of committee members begin on January 1 of each year; rotation is staggered to provide continuity.

ELIGIBILITY
All TOS members are eligible to nominate themselves for consideration for committee positions. Persons who are not TOS members are eligible with the understanding that if appointed, they must become a TOS member.

CRITERIA
Applications will be scored according to the evaluation rubric.

APPLICATION
Apply online to be considered for selection.

REVIEW AND SELECTION
Current committee chairs and members review and score applicants according to the evaluation rubric. Committee chairs send a ranked list of persons to the Council for approval, and the Council issues invitations to new committee members.

QUESTIONS?
Please contact Jenny Ramarui, TOS Executive Director.

Want to learn more about the TOS JEDI Committee, what we are working on, or find out how to get involved? Have an issue you would like to discuss in confidence? There are a couple of ways to connect with us:

• Connect with the JEDI Committee Co-Chairs via email at [email protected]
• Reach out to any of the other committee members through email by clicking on their names the MEMBERS section above.