ATLAS is—first and foremost—a community, and a strong commitment to this community is at the heart of our continued success. We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive learning, teaching, research and working environment for all students, faculty, staff and guests. 

To grow and succeed as an institute for radical creativity and invention, diversity at every level of teaching, learning and research is essential. 

We recognize that our work in teaching, research, creative work and scholarship, as well as our service and community partnerships, takes place in a social context that has a long history of injustice and inequity. Through our work we can contribute to addressing societal injustice and inequities, and we are committed to doing so.  

This commitment is not new for ATLAS.  For many years the Roser ATLAS Center was the home of the National Center for Women and Information Technology; our Social Impact Master’s track (formerly Information and Communication Technology) prepares students to apply technology to address social inequities; and several recent PhD dissertations have focused on technology, diversity and inclusion. Our speaker series, colloquia, and B2 Black Box Experimental Studio performances all have made—and continue to make—inclusion and diversity a top priority.

We are happy that our academic programs have attracted a student body that is more diverse in race and ethnicity than the campus as a whole, that campus surveys show our climate is positive and respectful of individuals, and that more than 50 percent of our students and faculty identify as female or non-binary, which is exceptionally high among engineering programs. 

At the same time, we aim to do more, as reflected in these goals from our 2025 strategic plan:

• Maintain and further develop our positive social and professional climate, ensuring that we provide a safe and inclusive learning and working environment. Recognize that members of groups under-represented in academia bear additional burden and labor, and seek to recognize and support these members of our student body and faculty.

• Foster a more demographically diverse ATLAS community that reflects the diversity of the United States population by: 

(1) engaging diverse CU students, including building relationships with student groups,

(2) engaging teachers at high schools and community colleges serving minority students to recruit undergraduate students, 

(3) participating in recruiting events for graduate students from minority-serving colleges and marginalized STEM organizations, and 

(4) facilitate access for students from underserved backgrounds (low-socioeconomic status, first generation students, underrepresented racial/ethinic minorities, LGBTQIA+) by offering scholarships, provided by local businesses or individuals. We shall leverage opportunities to connect with faculty and students of color, as well as disabled and deaf and hard-of-hearing faculty and students, including through the B2 Center for Media, Arts & Performance.

• Establish greater clarity in faculty roles, fostering professional development and leadership for all faculty members.  

To achieve these goals, ATLAS particularly welcomes applications to our academic programs from students who will broaden the diversity—in every dimension—of our undergraduate and graduate community. And we continue to be introspective as a community, soliciting ideas to enhance inclusivity and welcome difference.

The Roser ATLAS Building stands on the territory and homeland of the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Ute Nations. 

Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder Diversity Initiative

Learn more about The Broadening Opportunities through Leadership and Diversity (BOLD) Center (CEAS)