UNMC's Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Whether engaged in patient care, research or education, UNMC touches the lives of millions of people. As part of a global health community, we recruit students from around the world and here at home who have an interest in serving patients from all walks of life.
UNMC is creating an environment of inclusion for everyone – patients, visitors, employees and students. When you step foot on this campus, we hope you feel valued, respected and connected. And we hope you feel this way beyond the confines of our campus as our students, faculty and staff reach out into the surrounding communities, the nation and the world.
College of Dentistry Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
Our initiatives have included:
- Educational campaigns to educate the college community about different cultures and the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Workshops on how the college community can collaboratively foster a more inclusive environment.
- Storytelling exercises where students, faculty and staff share a personal narrative to help others gain an understanding our differences.
Core Principles
UNMC defines the core principles of inclusion, diversity and equity as defined by the Association of American Colleges & Universities.
Diversity: Individual differences (e.g., personality, learning styles and life experiences) and group/social differences (e.g., race/ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, country of origin and ability, as well as cultural, political, religious or other affiliations)
Inclusion: The active, intentional and ongoing engagement with diversity—in the curriculum, in the co-curriculum and in communities (intellectual, social, cultural, geographical) with which individuals might connect—in ways that increase awareness, content knowledge, cognitive sophistication and empathic understanding of the complex ways individuals interact within systems and institutions
Equity: The creation of opportunities for historically underrepresented populations to have equal access to and participate in educational programs that are capable of closing the achievement gaps in student success and completion
Equity-Mindedness: A demonstrated awareness of and willingness to address equity issues among institutional leaders and staff