UCSF Leaders to Give Progress Report on Nov. 20 on Nurturing Diversity

By Lisa Cisneros

Chancellor Mike Bishop, MD, and members of the UCSF executive leadership invite the campus community to join a town hall discussion on Tuesday, Nov. 20, about efforts to enhance diversity at UCSF. The town hall meeting will be held from noon to 1 p.m. in Cole Hall in the Medical Sciences Building on the UCSF Parnassus campus. Topics for discussion during the town hall meeting are: * The role of the recently appointed director of academic diversity, a position held by Renee Navarro, MD, who will talk about her work; * An update on the 10-point plan to promote diversity from Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Eugene Washington, MD; * Academic diversity case studies from Kathleen Dracup, RN, FNP, DNSc, dean of the UCSF School of Nursing, and David Kessler, MD, dean of the UCSF School of Medicine; and * Efforts to enhance staff diversity described by Senior Vice Chancellor Steve Barclay and Mark Laret, chief executive officer of UCSF Medical Center. Chancellor Bishop reemphasized the importance of diversity at UCSF in his 1998 inaugural state of the campus address. He stated: "I believe one of our noblest challenges is the need to honor and pursue diversity within every element of our campus community. It is imperative that all minorities be properly represented in all walks of life, and in positions of authority and distinction. The shape of our future as a culture rests on that imperative." UCSF Today recently reported on some of the progress made in advancing diversity. Valuing Diversity University leaders have made it abundantly clear that they value diversity by announcing and working to implement two campuswide initiatives: the UCSF Strategic Plan and the 10-point plan for diversity. The UCSF Strategic Plan, which charts the University's course as a global leader in health sciences over the next two decades, declares "nurturing diversity" as one of seven major directions to help it achieve its mission. UCSF's vision statement reads, in part, that in advancing health worldwide™, UCSF will "build upon its commitment to diversity." Read the strategic plan here. The UCSF diversity initiative, announced in February, pinpoints 10 key outcomes to be completed this academic year. One of those outcomes is the appointment of the first-ever director of academic diversity, a position that Navarro assumed in August. Navarro serves on the Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Academic Diversity, formerly the Steering Committee for the Chancellor's Faculty Diversity Initiative, which is finalizing its goals for the 2007-2008 academic year. The charge of that committee is to identify, implement and evaluate efforts to promote diversity among UCSF faculty, other academic appointees, postdoctoral scholars, clinical fellows, residents and students and to monitor progress toward stated goals. Read more about Navarro's role here. At the town hall meeting, Barclay and Laret are expected to describe recent actions and recommendations to promote diversity among staff. The diversity town hall meeting is sponsored by the Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Diversity, the Diversity Celebration Planning Committee and the Equal Opportunity Committee of the Academic Senate. Related Links: Creating a More Diverse Campus Community
UCSF Today, Oct. 19, 2007 UCSF Unveils Strategic Plan to Guide Its Global Leadership in Advancing Health
UCSF Today, June 28, 2007 UCSF Launches 10-Point Initiative to Promote Diversity
UCSF Today, Feb. 28, 2007