Inclusivity, Diversity, & Our Values
The Psychology and Neuroscience Department at Boston College is committed to fostering a welcoming environment that embraces individuals from all backgrounds. We believe that a broad range of experiences, identities, and viewpoints is essential to advancing scientific knowledge. All aspects of a thriving intellectual community—rigorous inquiry, open discourse, and a rich exchange of ideas—are strengthened by an atmosphere that values mutual respect and openness.
Consistent with Boston College’s mission to educate and care for the whole person (cura personalis), we are dedicated to cultivating a welcoming and diverse community that reflects a wide spectrum of perspectives, including but not limited to representation across gender, religion, race, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, politics, and socioeconomic status. We are committed to identifying and reducing barriers to full involvement so that all members of our department feel supported and empowered.
We actively pursue these goals in order to more fully realize the benefits of a multifaceted and pluralistic community—greater scientific understanding, enhanced innovation, increased well-being, and the pursuit of a just society. We are committed to supporting efforts that ensure each individual's identity, voice, and contributions are respected, and that differences contribute to a stronger collective whole. We look forward to welcoming you to our community and growing together.
Here are some of the ways we strive to uphold these values
The Predoctoral Mentoring Program is an opportunity for any student seeking a doctoral degree in Psychology and Neuroscience and offers institutional knowledge to applicants who may not have access to such advising or resources. Department members also mentor for the McNair Scholars and other undergraduate programs to empower early scholars.
We regularly gather to strengthen social bonds, increase understanding across department stakeholders, and collectively improve our skills to identify and address hurdles to belonging.
We maintain several standing committees, like the Trainee Mentorship and Belonging Committee, that assess and improve our creation of a welcoming environment for a diverse community, provide professional development, recommend best practices, and offer mentorship tailored to our undergraduate, graduate and faculty members.
The department has a longstanding commitment to strive for inclusivity and diversity within our community and seeks to address inequities that exist within our field. As part of a periodic review of our statements and policies, and in light of dynamic changes in norms surrounding such policies, the current statement was revised to reinforce and focus our mission and values and unanimously adopted by the faculty in October, 2025.