You Belong Here Champion Award

The You Belong Here DEI Champion Award recognizes faculty and staff who are nominated by students, faculty and staff in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.AsiaDowtin-SashaBell-7-square

This award honors those who live the CANR Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement in and through their work and space. The CANR Office of Culture, Access, and Belonging established the award to provide an opportunity to identify DEI champions the CANR community regularly engages with.

You Belong Here Champions support a culture where every member of our college community feels valued and inspired to achieve individual and common goals, with an uncommon will.

Award Nominations

We invite students, faculty and staff to nominate up to one faculty and one staff member of the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources community whom you believe are worthy of this esteemed honor for the 2024-2025 academic year.

You Belong Here Champions maintain an accessible, inclusive and supportive community for all who learn, work and teach in the CANR, MSU Extension and AgBioResearch.

Nomination forms for individuals whom you believe are deserving of this recognition were due by March 22, 2025.

Past Nominees and Awardees

Past Nominees and Awardees

Why Should I Nominate?

  1. Ensure your voice is empowered and integrated in CANR Diversity, Equity and Inclusion priorities.
  2. Strengthening the community through compassion, advocacy and humility by recognizing individuals who focuses on inclusive excellence.
  3. The opportunity to be bold and courageous by recognizing the efforts of a faculty or staff member.

Nominate: https://forms.gle/imMSDFV17TM5jx9P7 

Award Criteria

The You Belong Here Champion Award Selection Committee will consider the nominee’s trailblazing efforts in one or more of the following areas:

  • Are representative of our inclusive community reflecting the CANR values of diversity, equity and inclusion.
  • Have created an inclusive and welcoming space for students, faculty and staff.
  • Have created and promoted inclusion of diversity in a curriculum.
  • Have exceptional mentoring, recruiting, grading, hiring, retaining or advocating programs for students whose background, experience and interests contributes to fostering and valuing diverse perspectives.
  • Have the ability to guide students to articulate their experiences at MSU in a way that helps them reach their personal and professional goals (career readiness).
  • Have demonstrated ethical leadership in community engagement activities or student organizations.
  • Have influenced the development of inclusive and supportive environments for students, staff and faculty to show up in authentic ways.
  • Have implemented policies and practices that support the CANR DEI Statement.

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