Turning aspirations for inclusion into action

Abstract

The American Chemical Society core values reflect the fundamental beliefs of the society and guide the activities of our volunteer members and staff to achieve our mission and vision. In short, they are why we do what we do. The conundrum, though, lies in the development and implementation of what we do in order to turn these tenets into practical and effective actions to support, promote, and enhance both ACS and the greater chemistry enterprise. If ACS governance could devise a straightforward program to ensure that ACS at all levels would achieve its laudable aspirations, the result would be fantastic. But doing so is difficult, if not impossible. We are all in this together, and all our efforts must be marshaled if we are to make progress, particularly if we are to make fundamental cultural changes. We want to focus here on our core value of diversity, inclusion, and respect.