Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Goal. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) encompasses principles focused on fostering equal opportunities (equity), acknowledging diverse personal, social, and cultural characteristics (diversity), and advocating for the active participation of all individuals in various spaces and discussions (inclusion). To promote equity, diversity, and inclusion, ICSME 2024 aims to:

• Committee Diversity: We are engaged in recruiting qualified members of the organization committee, members of technical committees, and reviewers to construct a diverse team encompassing various social, cultural, and economic backgrounds, as well as diverse skill sets targeting a variety of genders, ethnicities, nationalities, and research expertise.
• Speaker Diversity: We are focused on inviting speakers and panelists representing diverse populations, backgrounds, and research topics within software maintenance and evolution to increase diversity in the perspectives showcased during the event.
• Bias Mitigation: We are dedicated to promoting double-blind reviewing practices as a method to reduce unconscious (unintentional) biases against social, cultural, and economic statuses (e.g., national origin, gender, sexual orientation, and race). Furthermore, we are encouraging reviewers to approach paper evaluations with empathy and kindness.
• EDI Awareness: Recognizing the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion in software engineering, we encourage all committee members, reviewers, and participants to invest time in learning more about EDI and its importance in the various facets of our community.
• Participation: We anticipate the engagement of every individual participating in ICSME 2024 to help create an environment where everyone feels valued, included, respected, and secure about their social, cultural, or economic backgrounds (such as national origin, gender, sexual orientation, race, or any other individual aspect).

IEEE Computer Society Open Conference Statement

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion are central to the goals of the IEEE Computer Society and all of its conferences. Equity at its heart is about removing barriers, biases, and obstacles that impede equal access and opportunity to succeed. Diversity is fundamentally about valuing human differences and recognizing diverse talents. Inclusion is the active engagement of Diversity and Equity.

A goal of the IEEE Computer Society is to foster an environment in which all individuals are entitled to participate in any IEEE Computer Society activity free of discrimination. For this reason, the IEEE Computer Society is firmly committed to team composition in all sponsored activities, including but not limited to, technical committees, steering committees, conference organizations, standards committees, and ad hoc committees that display Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

IEEE Computer Society meetings, conferences, and workshops must provide a welcoming, open and safe environment, that embraces the value of every person, regardless of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, religion, national origin, ancestry, or disability. All individuals are entitled to participate in any IEEE Computer Society activity free of discrimination, including harassment based on any of the above factors.

Contacts

Please contact the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair for more information:

Dr. Ronnie de Souza Santos, Ronnie.desouzasantos@ucalgary.ca