The Department of Chemistry has a long and distinguished tradition of excellence in research and scholarship, continually advancing the frontiers of education and discovery in the chemical sciences. While these achievements remain central to our mission, we recognize that lasting excellence is built on more than discovery alone. A positive workplace climate supports, strengthens, and enables our pursuit of innovation, collaboration, and excellence in research and scholarship.
Facilitating a Positive Climate
For more than a decade, the department has been making strides to facilitate a positive climate through various initiatives led by the Community-Building Committee (formerly the Climate Committee) and the Student Wellness Coalition (SWC).
Community-Building Committee Student Wellness Coalition
Consisting of faculty members, postdocs, graduate students and staff, the Community-Building Committee develops practices and policies that build and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment. The SWC is a committee of graduate students and postdoctoral representatives from the various graduate student organizations and areas within the department. This coalition seeks to foster healthy working relationships between the various organizations and the department’s faculty and administration, and it supports graduate students and postdocs in minimizing and mitigating the undue stress from research-related activities.
Seeking Input
Many of the department’s positive workplace efforts have been predicated on feedback gathered through town hall meetings with graduate students, surveys of faculty, staff and students, and individual exit interviews with graduating students. Through those efforts and the work of the Community-Building Committee and the SWC, the department is continually seeking input from students, faculty, and staff on the following questions.
Questions
- Are the department’s formal policies and procedures clear and fair?
- Are professional opportunities available to everyone?
- Are performance expectations clearly stated?
- Are there readily accessible ways for everyone to provide feedback on ways to improve?
- Does the department have a good “vibe”?
- Do students, staff, and faculty members recommend the department as a place to work or study?
Taking Initiative
Based on input people in the Department of Chemistry, the department has implemented changes to clarify and improve policies and procedures that increase professional opportunities for students, faculty, and staff; provide a more welcoming and safer environment to pursue excellence in research, teaching, mentoring, and learning; and provide more effective ways for individuals to receive constructive feedback that lead to improvement.
The Department of Chemistry has taken several concrete actions over the past several years to improve climate.
Actions
- In 2018, a new full-time staff position was created, now called Assistant Director of Student Wellness and Advocacy, specifically to assist graduate students in navigating the Ph.D. program.
- In 2019, the department launched a mentoring program for newly hired assistant professors, in which a trio of mentors provide information on how to run a lab and become an effective teacher, mentor, and citizen of the department.
- Since 2022, core chemistry faculty (tenured, tenure-track and instructional) are required to take professional development training at least every 3-4 years to enhance their abilities to be responsible supervisors of research and teaching assistants.
- Two new classes were developed for graduate students: CHEM 591, Introductory Professional Development for Chemists, required of all first-year graduate students in the fall semester; and CHEM 593, Advanced Professional Development for Chemists, required for all third-year graduate students in the spring semester. These courses focus on non-technical “soft” skills, career preparation, and responsible conduct of research.
- The faculty voted to increase salaries for graduate students by more than 15% over 3 years, from $29,300 per year in 2022 to $34,000 per year in 2025.
- The faculty voted to adopt a new and more liberal personal time off policy for graduate students and postdocs in the research labs. This policy took effect in Fall 2023.
- A new form is now included with graduate students’ original research proposals that prompts fourth-year graduate students to have a discussion with their committee (without their advisor) about their professional trajectory and what it will take to finish their degree. This innovation, a suggestion from students, has been very well received by both students and faculty.
- As of 2024, each faculty member taking graduate students now provides a “Group Expectations Document” available to all researchers who might want to join their group.
- Optional research group rotations for first-year graduate students became available to the entire department in 2025. In Fall 2025, 100% of the first-year graduate students participated.
- In 2025, posters were distributed throughout the department’s buildings that make everyone aware of confidential reporting policies and procedures for reporting complaints, and they provide QR codes that make confidential reporting more accessible to everyone. Such reports are confidentially routed to the Assistant Director of Student Wellness and Advocacy.
- In 2025, SWC conducted a departmental climate survey for all graduate students, leveraging the data to amplify student voices and address community concerns.