Welcome to the IU Northwest Department of Psychology
Statement of Support for Students of Color
The members of the Indiana University Northwest Department of Psychology declare that we stand in solidarity with our students of color and will take the following actions to demonstrate our support:
- We commit to lifelong learning in the pursuit of racial and cultural competence and place emphasis on self-awareness, humility, empathy, and open discussion.
- We will work to recognize and call out injustice in professional and personal settings.
- We will stay mindful of implicit biases and will work to mitigate our own implicit biases, especially within our own teaching, research, and supervisory settings.
- We will research and implement strategies to encourage better retention and graduation success for students of color.
- We acknowledge that systemic racism exists in academia and affirm that we will take what we learn to administration, faculty governance, and other educational platforms in order to change the status quo.
This list is not comprehensive and is just the beginning of the actions we are taking in order to be better allies and change agents in the pursuit of social justice. We understand we still have much to learn. If you are a student or alumnus/a of color and would feel comfortable sharing your experiences in our classes or other educational settings, we would like to gather feedback individually or in small groups in order to improve the experiences for all of our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) students (please contact Dr. Rutherford at mlpetrun@iun.edu if you are interested). Alternatively, you are also welcome to share your experiences here anonymously: https://iu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1GtgOjcw7pHeU8R
Psychology is a science that deals with mental processes and behavior.
Psychological scientists study topics such as the structure and function of the brain, perception, learning, memory, thinking, personality, and psychological disorders.
A Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Psychology curriculum enables students to 1) think scientifically about behavior and mental processes, 2) appreciate and respect individual differences, and 3) pursue a variety of post-baccalaureate alternatives, including enrollment in graduate or professional school or employment in social service agencies, business, and industry.
Coursework aims to teach students to evaluate research methods, research designs, and statistics; to distinguish theories and findings based on evidence from those without such support; to speak and write effectively about psychology; and to understand how the study of psychology helps individuals make their community a better place.
Both the B.A. and B.S. degrees in psychology provide students with a rigorous general background in psychology that prepares students for entry into psychology graduate programs. The B.S. degree is designed for students who wish to prepare for health-related professional graduate programs such as medicine, dentistry or physical therapy. The more extensive requirements in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics have been selected to optimize the student's preparation for these health-related graduate programs.
