Page 16 - SCIE Ambassador Program Strategic Brief

Recommendations for a More Inclusive

Environment

The capstone project for the SCIE Ambassador Program is the creation of this Strategic Brief.
Throughout the year in residence, Ambassadors have had the opportunity to make suggestions and
recommendations to improve the climate for all students on the MCV campus. During the second
semester, Ambassadors were asked to vote on their top 3 recommendations. Table 1 below reveals the
results of the voting process. The final session of the year was devoted, in part, to fully developing
those recommendations for inclusion in this document. The development of the recommendations
included considering the resources needed to implement the recommendation, identifying university
partners, as well as considering any potential barriers to its implementation. The twelve SCIE
Ambassadors were divided into three groups of 4 and each group developed one of the three
recommendations. The small groups were facilitated by Logan Vetrovec, M.Ed., Director of Strategic
Engagement, Kevin Harris, M.S.A., Interim Associate Vice President for Health Sciences and Assistant
Vice President for Health Sciences, and Alena C. Hampton, Ph.D., Director of Student Experience.

Table 1. Voting Results for Top 3 Recommendations
Recommendation Results
Increase student/faculty diversity EVF AH SCH
VMM TSB
More diversity/cultural events, workshops, skits, videos NI TSP LYJ RAW
More diverse patient interactions AH VMM
Competency training – mandatory EVF VMM TSP
Biyearly meeting with Rao or Dean of Students (all schools) SCH

Incorporate diversity into curriculum/guest speakers to attend intro classes to RAW, EVF, NI,
discuss diversity/focus group training specific to diversity within each profession TSP, LYJ TSB

Student panel on their experience as underrepresented students
Point person for each school to discuss issues TSB
Weekly cultural presentation where students/faculty can share their cultures
Annual cultural festival
Allow students from different programs to take similar required classes together AH SCH LYJ
(ethics, anatomy, etc.)
Ambassador open lunch lecture on diversity issues NI

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