The Cobell Institute is committed to fostering inclusive scientific and learning environments that embrace the diversity of experiences and interests represented in our communities and the broader world. Aligned with the University of Montana’s mission, we see diversity, equity, and inclusion as foundational elements for ethical scholarship and teaching excellence.

The Institute's mission can only be successfully accomplished by recognizing and embracing the differences in age, ideas, disabilities, creed, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, national origin, race, religious and spiritual beliefs, sex, sexual orientation, and the socioeconomic and geographic composition of our faculty, administrative professionals, staff, and students. 

We are committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion by:

1. Respecting the dignity and rights of all persons.
2. Rejecting and contesting all forms of discrimination, hate, racism, and bias.
3. Providing a culturally competent, inclusive, and respectful environment.
4. Promoting open and critical dialogue and practices that aim at dismantling past and present injustices
5. Encouraging scholarly activities that acknowledge and respect culturally diverse ways of knowing.
6. Producing publicly engaged research that addresses pressing social and environmental challenges.
7. Advancing ethical research and teaching practices.
8. Supporting the inclusion of historically underrepresented groups in academia at large.
9. Developing curriculum and training that engage with diverse cultures, values, and equity concerns.
10. Bringing inclusive pedagogical approaches into the learning environment.