Page 19 - SCIE Ambassador Program Strategic Brief

Recommendation: Incorporate Diversity into the Curriculum/Guest Speakers to Attend

Introductory Classes to Discuss Diversity/Focus Group Training Specific to Diversity within
Each Profession
Ambassadors: Tamara Broadnax, Bryant Wooten, Lily Jia, Dalilah Romero
Facilitator: Alena C. Hampton, Ph.D., Director of Student Experience

Outline of the Recommendation

SCIE Ambassadors discussed this recommendation and its applicability for students and faculty. With
regard to faculty, it is recommended that all teaching faculty engage in diversity education at the
beginning of the academic year. This education should be provided by an outside consultant and should
be interactive in nature; this educational experience should not be offered in an online format. The
Mosaic model was suggested as a potential model.

For students, it is recommended that diversity education be included in existing courses for first and
second year students wherein professionalism and clinical skills are already addressed. For example, the
Clinical Skills course in the School of Dentistry, Labs & Foundations in the School of Pharmacy, and
Epidemiology in the DNP program in the School of Nursing are all possibilities for inserting one to two
modules devoted to diversity education. Special care should be given to the faculty designated to
facilitate these educational experiences. It some cases it may be appropriate to have guest
lecturers/speakers invited to these classes to ensure that the goals of these sessions are appropriately
achieved. Further, it is recommended that students be engaged in the process and asked about what
they are interested in learning.

SCIE Ambassadors recommended that the content of the educational sessions be broad based rather
than focusing on specific minority populations. Instead, students and faculty should be provided the
opportunity to explore their own biases and privilege, and explore how this may impact their work as
healthcare providers. Small groups and quick response technology (I.e. Poll Everywhere) were also
recommended to facilitate an effective educational experience.

Who are the Strategic Partners?
The strategic partners for this recommendation were identified as the Deans and Assistant and
Associate Deans of each of the schools. Further, existing curriculum committees in the health sciences
schools would be critical partners as would existing cultural action committees. Similarly, it is
recommended that those health sciences schools that do not have such committees convene them
immediately. Finally, it was underscored that the importance of such an initiative much be supported
from the top down. As such, the Office of the Vice President for Health Sciences, including the Center
for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Care, were identified as critical partners.

What Resources are Needed, Financial and Human?

Financial resources would be needed to pay for an external consulting agency who may be secured to
provide these educational opportunities to faculty and to appropriately train faculty to facilitate these
experiences in their own courses. Financial resources, however, would not be needed if internal
consultants were utilized (I.e., Human Resources VCU Mosaic Program).

19 | Page