Commitment to Diversity
Date: November 7, 2022
Number: 4.000
Status: Final
Contact Office:
Office of Diversity and Inclusion
PO Box 800230
Charlottesville, VA 22908
Phone: 434-924-1867
Oversight Executive:
Dean of the School of Medicine
PO Box 800230
Charlottesville, VA 22908
Phone: 434-924-1867
Applies to:
School of Medicine faculty, staff, residents, fellows, and students
Reason for Policy:
The University of Virginia School of Medicine recognizes that racism contributes to a public health crisis and is committed to fostering an environment of diversity and inclusion and has implemented policies, procedures, and a strategic plan to help support these values throughout the school. The SOM is committed to implementing concrete actions aimed at recruitment and retention of faculty, medical residents, staff, and students whose diverse identities, backgrounds, or experience will bring value to the educational and clinical experience of the school. This policy states the SOM commitment to and expectations regarding diversity.
Policy Background:
The value of diversity and inclusion is incorporated into our institution’s mission, values, and strategy. At the University of Virginia we are committed to academic excellence and recognize that incorporating, understanding, and appreciating differences is essential to culturally competent education and health care. Diversity of life experience, thought and ideas is essential in achieving excellence in all that we do, as is a health care workforce that is trained and prepared to lead, live, and work effectively in such an environment. Through curricular initiatives and a commitment to holistic approaches to recruiting, pipeline, admissions and hiring processes, our learners, staff, and faculty achieve cultural competency and humility.
Policy Statement:
Faculty, residents, fellows, staff, and students at the UVA SOM will participate in and support diversity and inclusion. Learning experiences and applications have the mission of training health professionals and creating and sharing health knowledge within culture that promotes equity, diversity, and inclusiveness, with the goal of providing excellence, innovation and superlative quality in the care of patients. This will be achieved by embracing a shared vision and values, and acting in accordance.
Vision: to be the nation’s leading public academic School of Medicine and the best place to work-while transforming patient care, research, education and management with the diverse communities we serve. We will be:
- Our local community’s provider of choice for its healthcare needs
- A national leader in quality, patient safety, service and compassionate care
- The leading provider of technologically advanced, ground-breaking care throughout Virginia
- Recognized for translating research discoveries into improvements in clinical care and patient outcomes
- Fostering innovative care delivery and teaching/training models that respond to the evolving health environment
- A leader in training students and faculty in providing health care free of prejudice, discrimination, and disparity
Values: This institution exists to serve others, and does so through the expression of our core values to which we ASPIRE:
- Accountability: Acknowledging and assuming responsibility for where we have succeeded and failed in terms of our actions, decisions, policies and results.
- Stewardship: Managing our resources and commitment to continual improvement and learning responsibly and carefully while acknowledging shortcomings or problems in our quest.
- Professionalism: Approaching all that we do in a collaborative way and delivering excellent care through the lens of helpfulness, positivity, kindness and competency.
- Integrity: Being honest, open and fair through our behaviors, attitude and treatment of others.
- Respect: Valuing everyone through our compassionate and caring ways.
- Equity: Fostering an environment of belonging that promotes justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and unity throughout the organization and within the communities we serve.
The School of Medicine seeks to recruit, support, nourish, and grow faculty, residents, staff, and students from all racial and ethnic groups; underrepresented groups such as persons with disabilities or gender identity or expression differences; veterans; persons with unique life experiences and challenges; first generation professionals or physicians; and Virginia citizens from rural or socioeconomically disadvantaged regions of the Commonwealth. Diversity enriches the School of Medicine in all aspects of our mission of education, service, research, and practice.
Procedures:
The Dean of the School of Medicine appoints a Diversity Consortium for advisory purposes, and the Diversity Consortium undertakes its work through focus groups, surveys, individual consults, and other formal and informal mechanisms.
The Diversity Strategic Plan encompasses students, residents, staff, and faculty in the School of Medicine. It addresses representation, recruitment, and retention, and identification of barriers to achievement. This is accomplished through outreach, mentorship, recognition of achievements, active affinity groups, and leadership development.
The strategic plan is available through the Office of the Dean.
Next Scheduled Review: August 2025
Revision History: Implemented October 28, 2013, revised 8/10/2017; administrative update 7/29/20; revised 8/25/20; administrative update 8/18/21; administrative update 11/7/2022
Approved November 7, 2021, by:
Melina R. Kibbe, MD
Dean, UVA School of Medicine