Climate site visits
APS has a long-standing interest in improving the climate for individuals from all backgrounds and identities in physics departments, national labs, and scientific collaborations. Through working with APS to conduct a site visit, you are proactively taking steps to improve your environment for everyone.
Climate site visit goals
Climate site visits are a process to assist physics departments, labs, and consortia with understanding their current conditions and taking action to foster environments that are welcoming to all participants in physics. The goals of these visits are:
- To improve the climate for everyone in the physics community, ensuring all can fully participate and thrive
- To assist departments, labs, or consortia in institutionalizing positive climate changes
Engaging faculty, staff, and students in the process, APS leaders and volunteers conduct a two-day visit of the physics institution and then provide actionable recommendations and opportunities to foster a more inclusive, welcoming, and supportive environment.
Request a visit
The physics department chair or equivalent at a lab or consortium must be the individual who requests a climate site visit.
If you are a student or other member of a physics institution interested in a site visit, we encourage you to raise your concerns within your institution or contact the APS climate site visit team for other suggestions and strategies.
All data and information collected during the site visit are kept confidential.
What to expect with a climate site visit
Costs and memorandum of understanding
The department or institution requesting the site visit is responsible for covering the visit costs, typically about $5,000 to $7,000.
Costs for physics departments include a management fee of $1,500, as well as travel, food, and lodging expenses for site visitors. These costs do not include a recommended $1,000 per person honorarium for visitors, which APS recommends. Costs for labs and consortia may be slightly higher.
Costs for the visit will be agreed upon through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the institution and the APS site visit group. The MOU will also establish expectations of the department or institution, the site visit group, and APS.
Timing and preparation
After APS receives the request, the site visit typically occurs about nine months later.
Before the visit, the institution should engage in preparation activities including:
- Participating in a half-hour video conference with the APS site visit group
- Preparing faculty, students, staff, and other key individuals at the institution to actively participate in the site visit
- Conducting a self-study
- Distributing confidential APS climate surveys throughout the institution at least four weeks prior to the visit, with a reminder a week before the visit
- Making travel, meal, lodging, and meeting room arrangements with the APS site visit group and the institution
- Preparing a visit agenda
Expectations during and after a visit
During the site visit, APS expects active participation and good attendance from relevant groups and individuals. After the site visit, the department or institution should be prepared for the following:
- A satisfaction survey, send by APS to the institution a few days after the site visit
- A site visit report compiled by the site visit group with recommendations, which the institution should distribute to relevant stakeholders
- An action plan created by the institution within ten weeks of the visit based on the report's recommendations
- A brief activity report detailing actions taken, evidence for improvement, effectiveness and impact of the visit, and next steps for the institution that is sent to the site visit group chair and lead a year after the visit
Volunteer to assist with a visit
Volunteering assists physics institutions in fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone. Our visits depend upon volunteers bringing their knowledge of creating welcoming communities in the field and their passion for physics to make each site visit a success.
As a volunteer member of the site visit group, you are representing APS and our values, and the purpose of your visit should be focused on improving the institution's physics climate. Additionally, as a volunteer, you will:
- Complete a site visit training with APS
- Attend the site visit and interview institutional leaders, such as department members and administrators, as well as students
- Assist in drafting the site visit report
Past site visit hosts
These institutions have hosted climate site visits:
Contact
If you have questions, we'd be happy to answer them. Please email the APS climate site visits team.
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