- Leadership – SGUSOM will demonstrate its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through leadership, policies, and practices, including:
a. Appointing an Assistant Dean of Multicultural Affairs (ADMA) who is responsible for the planning and oversight of diversity, equity and inclusion activities. The ADMA reports directly to the Dean of the School of Medicine. The ADMA:
i. Actively promotes a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment within the School of Medicine.
ii. Collaborates with the leadership of SGUSOM to establish an environment free of discriminatory behavior and harassment of all students and free of retaliation for filing complaints of discrimination.
iii. Develops programs/activities designed to raise awareness of and educate the SGUSOM community about topics and issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
b. Adopting this Diversity and Inclusion Policy to guide all efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
c. Establishing a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Council to advise the ADMA on DEI practices and developments.
2. Recruitment Strategies – In recruiting students, faculty and staff at SGUSOM, diversity, equity and inclusion should be a significant component and be reflected in recruitment strategies. These strategies may include:
a. Utilizing pipeline programs to recruit students to become physicians, focusing on specific target groups that will enhance SGUSOM’s ability to meet its mission, including students from these groups historically underrepresented in medicine:
i. Country of origin
ii. Female gender
b. Utilizing recruitment pathways to ensure a diverse pool of applicants for faculty and staff positions, with special consideration on recruiting the following groups:
i. Country of origin
ii. Female gender
c. Assessing current recruitment efforts and developing an analysis so that DEI can be further integrated into recruiting students, faculty and staff.
d. Ensuring SGU’s website reflects diversity, equity and inclusion in SGUSOM.
3. Education – Inclusion in SGUSOM curriculum on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues, such as:
a. Cultural Competency
b. Social Determinants of Health/Health Inequities/Population Health
c. Effective Communication with Diverse Patients
4. Retention of students, faculty, and staff – The SGUSOM will utilize strategies to retain students, faculty, and staff in diversity categories designated in Section 2 through initiatives such as:
a. Student support services and advising that cater to the needs of a diverse student body
b. Training and development opportunities for faculty and staff
5. Awareness – SGUSOM will ensure that applicants, students, faculty, and staff have exposure to its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through statements and policies that will be widely distributed through appropriate channels.
6. Evaluation – SGUSOM will track evaluation and assessment of its activities to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion through the development of goals, objectives, outcomes, and monitoring through a continuous quality improvement process.