WELCOME

The Office of the Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is focused on the College of Nursing and Health Professions' commitment to social justice, reduction of health disparities, calling attention to health inequities. There are abundant opportunities to become involved in making substantive and lasting changes in the practices, policies and the educational and cultural experiences and outcomes at the college and beyond.

The Board of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was formed to start much needed conversations and to empower all of us to take steps toward change. The board is comprised of faculty, professional staff and both undergraduate and graduate students. The College of Nursing and Health Professions holds that diversity is fundamental to all our endeavors and enriches the educational—and human—experience. We seek to create an institution in which our faculty, staff and students reflect the diversity and complexity of our city, nation and global communities. We seek to be inclusive and meet the needs of the diverse populations whom we teach, collaborate with and serve as we work together to promote health and eliminate health disparities.

Please check your email for Board of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion events as well as how you can become a future student member.

MISSION

As an advisory board to the Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) our mission is to provide strategic counsel on issues pertaining to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Board offers insights, evidence-informed and best practices to guide problem-solving and decision making to support CNHP’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.

VISION

Advancing an anti-racist environment to promote a socially just College.

DEI BOARD MEMBERS

BOARD MEMBER PROJECT OUTCOMES

Members of the Board of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion complete one two-year project or two one-year projects over the course of their two-year term. Below is a selection of projects and their outcomes.

"Raising Our Hands with Jenna Arnold"

Board member Carly Shanken, BSN '21, invited Jenna Arnold, one of Oprah’s “100 Awakened Leaders who are using their voice and talent to elevate humanity,” to speak with the College of Nursing and Health Professions community. Jenna Arnold presented to faculty, professional staff, students, alumni and community members about learning and reflecting about white fragility as it pertains to the work white women MUST do. To address issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, especially at a Predominately White Institution (PWI), we must ask hard questions, engage in critical conversations and take adequate time for self-reflection.

Creation and Discussions Regarding Affinity Groups

Board member Megan Schneider, MMS, MSPH, assistant clinical professor in the Physician Assistant Department, worked with physician assistant students at CNHP to develop an affinity group for physician assistant students of color. The goals for this group are to develop mentorship and leadership opportunities, improve recruitment and retention of students of color and encourage class conversations on race and racism in healthcare.

Board members Emily Delany, former manager of Undergraduate Health Professions, Shell Myers, MFT '22, and Melissa Flambert, BS '20, developed BRAVE, the College of Nursing and Health Professions LGBTQIA+ Group for students, faculty and professional staff. This is the first CNHP all-inclusive LGBTQIA+ group for students, faculty and staff to gather and engage in discourse around LGBTQIA+ issues.

Board member Michele Rattigan, MA, associate clinical professor in the Department of Creative Arts Therapies, is educating the CNHP community regarding the importance the ongoing call to action of white faculty and staff doing the work to dismantle white supremacy in PWIs and how to get started using white racial affinity groups (WRAGs).

“The Danger of White Innocence”

As part of their Distinguished Presenters Series, the Board of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion invited George Yancy, PhD, author of three CHOICE Outstanding Academic Titles, to present “The Danger of White Innocence.” Yancy is the Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Philosophy at Emory University and a Montgomery Fellow at Dartmouth College, one of the College's highest honors. He is also currently the University of Pennsylvania’s inaugural fellow in the Provost’s Distinguished Visiting Faculty Fellowship Program. College of Nursing and Health Professions faculty, professional staff and community members filled the auditorium to hear Yancy address whiteness and the ways in which white privilege structures perception both consciously and unconsciously. He provided critical concepts to help generate a lively discussion while covering core issues regarding race, racism, whiteness and diversity.

If you would like to contact the CNHP Board of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, email DiversityBoardCNHP@drexel.edu.