Diversity, Inclusion and Accountability

Our values and acknowledgements

The Department of Statistics at Oregon State University is committed to fostering a safe, open, equitable, and inclusive environment in which to learn and work. We are striving to recruit, support, and honor a diverse range of thoughts, backgrounds, and identities. Statistics is a study of variability, and the field cannot thrive without variety among its practitioners.

We value our community members’ intersecting identities, as well as open dialogue, mutual respect, and empathy for varied perspectives. We recognize the need for inclusion and equity for those who have been underserved and marginalized and are still underrepresented in our community. Our mission of excellence in research, education, and service is best fulfilled when everyone has equal access and opportunity to succeed.

Equity, Inclusion and Justice Committee (EIJ) Committee

To help us align our goals, priorities and responsibilities, we have established the EIJ committee that will work alongside the College of Science and statistics department leadership to help empower our students and faculty.

EIJ Committee

Katie Mclaughlin - Chair
Lisa Madsen
Erin Howard

Resources

The Statistics EIJ Committee's work is situated in a larger effort by the College of Science to enhance diversity, racial justice and inclusion in science. Starting in 2021, the College launched the Strategic Diversity Action Plan designed to reflect the values and priorities of the science community. This plan is the culmination of extensive dialogue and ongoing communication that our department is proud to be a part of. In 2022, this plan was integrated into the College of Science strategic plan.

College of Science initiatives

Office of Institutional Diversity at Oregon State

Disability Access Services at Oregon State

Ethics for statisticians

Data science has a tremendous capacity to improve our society and the world. It also comes with an inherent potential for abuse. It is therefore critical to ensure that this data is obtained and utilized according to standard ethical guidelines. We stand by the Ethical Guidelines for Statistical Practice, prepared by the Committee on Professional Ethics of the American Statistical Association (ASA) and approved by the ASA Board of Directors in 2022. Please review the full guidelines, available on ASA website and as a PDF.

Download: Ethical Guidelines for Statistical Practice (pdf)

Purpose of ethical guidelines

The ethical guidelines aim to promote accountability by informing those who rely on any aspects of statistical practice of the standards they should expect. Society benefits from informed judgments supported by ethical statistical practice. All statistical practitioners are expected to follow these guidelines and encourage others to do the same.

In some situations, guideline principles may require balancing competing interests. If an unexpected ethical challenge arises, the ethical practitioner seeks guidance, not exceptions, in the guidelines. To justify unethical behaviors, or to exploit gaps in the guidelines, is unprofessional and inconsistent with these guidelines.