The Geisel School of Medicine believes that we advance our mission by providing an inclusive forum that supports the expression, consideration, and evaluation of diverse ideas, and that empowers each member of our community to reach their[1] full potential. Geisel is committed to an environment where there are no barriers between research and education or between innovation and implementation. We strive to disseminate our discoveries readily and to translate our accomplishments into better health for those we serve. Our goals are advanced by a community of scholars whose success is intertwined with the success of our academic and clinical partners and that is guided by the principles of integrity, service, and compassion.
Building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community is an institutional goal to which the Geisel community as a whole must contribute and is recognized by the Geisel Mission and Vision Statement and the Geisel Diversity Commitment and Policy. We commit to principles of community that prohibit any form of discrimination against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, national origin, citizenship, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other legally protected status. We commit to recruiting a diverse and inclusive faculty through best practices as set out in Appendix 2 of this document. We commit to building a culture that provides not only a diverse, but also an equitable environment that endeavors to both retain and advance all of our faculty. We recognize the value of these efforts, not only in our faculty recruitment processes; in assessing academic progress at annual meetings between faculty members and their chairs; and during review for advancement by the Appointments, Promotions and Titles (APT) Committee, but also in establishing standards for collegiality and professionalism for all members of the academic community (faculty, staff, non-faculty academics, students and visitors. For faculty such efforts may include, but are not limited to:
- Self-education or professional development opportunities that have increased your own awareness, empathy, and ability to be inclusive;
- Committee membership, leadership, or other service opportunities that have advanced institutional initiatives for diversity, equity, and inclusion;
- Mentoring, counseling, or advising. This may be student organizations or individual students. It may include mentoring of students who are themselves members of under-represented groups or mentoring majority students in order to enhance their understanding of key issues in diversity, equity, and inclusion;
- Incorporation of material in courses, lectures, etc. that enhances presentation/understanding of diverse groups. This may include (but is not limited to) discussions of both biomedical/health issues that have an impact on different under-represented groups, highlighting the accomplishments of non-majority clinicians/scientists who have historically contributed to our knowledge of a biomedical subject, and/or inclusion of issues related to biomedical ethics or subjects that would be included in medical humanities that encompass greater cultural competence;
- Presentations that you have made to groups within the academic/medical community or the community at large that have enhanced understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion;
- Specific efforts in which you have been engaged that have led to enhanced recruitment or retention of under-represented faculty, staff, or students (e.g., service on a search committee that hired a non-majority candidate); hiring a non-majority individual for your laboratory (staff or postdoc); service on admissions committees (UME, MPH or MS/PhD programs) that augment recruitment of non-majority students; and/or participation in summer programs that have as part of their mission enhancement of non-majority students in the biomedical community;
- Participation in pipeline programs or engagement in efforts to enhance recruitment at meetings (e.g., professional societies, AAMC) or in conjunction with other professional visits (e.g., when giving a seminar at other institutions);
- Participation/membership in local, regional, national, or international organizations whose missions are to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion ;
- Other efforts that you may want to report that would meet our diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
We recognize that the ability of our faculty to commit their efforts to advance diversity, inclusion, and equity in turn rests on the support from senior leadership to assess the culture and climate at Geisel, to address needs and deficiencies, to provide opportunities for growth and professional development of our faculty, and to promote an environment of respect.
The leadership at Geisel is fully committed to our institutional goals as outlined above and to supporting our faculty in their efforts to enhance our learning, research, and working environment.
[1]Throughout this document they/them/their is used for all genders.