October 14, 2022
COLUMBUS, Ohio – INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the country’s oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education, has awarded the 2022 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award to five health sciences graduate programs at The Ohio State University.
The College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Optometry, College of Public Health and College of Veterinary Medicine were recognized for demonstrating an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. Ohio State is the only academic institution in the country to have five colleges honored with the Health Professions HEED award.
“This recognition is meaningful and reflects the outstanding work of these five colleges to further diversity and inclusion,” said Melissa Gilliam, executive vice president and provost at Ohio State. “By fostering a culture of inclusive excellence, the entire university community benefits through a greater sense of belonging.”
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine evaluated academic institutions on leadership support for diversity, recruitment and retention of students and employees, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion. Ohio State diversity and inclusion efforts include:
College of Medicine: The College of Medicine has adopted curriculum and training procedures to explore racial disparities in medicine with the goals of dispelling myths and becoming aware of and rectifying any subconscious bias. Coupled with the classroom education are opportunities to apply learnings in the clinical skills lab through the use of manikins of color and melanated suture pads.
College of Nursing: The Summer Institute for Future Nurses introduces diverse groups of high school students from around the country to nursing. Offered in a hybrid format, students participated in mock clinical skills training sessions on campus and virtual presentations. More than 20 previous attendees of the Summer Institute have graduated from the College of Nursing with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.
College of Optometry: BuckEye Launch is an immersive five-day program for first-year students that provides strategies for academic success and creates a sense of community among students, faculty and staff. Major themes include effective learning and test taking strategies, self-care and personal wellness, and time management.
College of Public Health: The College of Public Health dean’s administrative leadership team and extended staff applied for and were chosen to be part of the inaugural class of Ohio State’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s new Inclusive Excellence Team Certification Program. The nine-month intensive learning and project development opportunity is designed to ensure that each participating faculty and staff member receives the same inclusive excellence education and tools to build a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. It includes a capstone project designed to advance the college’s goals around diversity, equity and inclusive excellence in the long term.
College of Veterinary Medicine: Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) is incorporated as a foundational principle in each of the six goal areas of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Be The Model® strategic plan. The formation of a new student leadership group, Student Leaders for Inclusive Excellence, is one example of many initiatives designed to support DEIB in the college community. Comprised of student leaders representing the college’s affinity groups and student chapters supportive of DEIB, this group provides mentorship and support to student affinity groups and student organizations that are supportive of diverse populations. The goal is for all student organizations to work together to create a sense of belonging with one another and to develop leadership skills as they plan DEIB educational events for the entire college community.
Ohio State will be featured in the December 2022 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
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Media Contact: Serena Smith, Wexner Medical Center Media Relations, Serena.Smith@osumc.edu