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Diversity and Inclusion updates

A group from Pace Center for Girls visited the college last fall for hands-on learning as part of the How We Role program, in which UFCVM has participated. The program is aimed at kids K-4 who are educationally disadvantaged due to socioeconomic status, race, or ethnicity, with the long-term goal of diversifying the veterinarian-scientist workforce.

After UF Florida President Kent Fuchs released an initial statement to the University community, the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee developed an Eight-Point Plan in response to the murder of George Floyd.

“It was clear from the President’s statement and the response by many UF college deans that issues around race are not just about law enforcement, but are found in academia as well,” said Dr. Michael Bowie, a clinical assistant professor of parasitology and director of the college’s Community Engagement and Diversity Outreach program.

Following the release of the President’s plan, the UF CVM Dean’s Council determined that while many of Fuchs’s ideas in the area of education, research, and community engagement overlapped with the college’s eight-point plan, there were additional items that the CVM could participate in to further support his efforts.

“Since that time, the college has held a number of listening sessions with both DVM and graduate students, incoming interns, specialty interns, and residents, faculty and staff,” Bowie said, adding that listening sessions allowed participants to either express or reflect on what was happening and how it was impacting them.  This was followed by participants stating how they were practicing self-care and expressing what activities they would like to see.

The college is in the process of developing several plans to address increasing diversity among its faculty, staff, house officers, and students, with a special emphasis on Black faculty, staff, house officers, and students. In August, upon the return of students, the college will hold an event that will allow all members of the CVM community to self-reflect on times when they remained silent when an injustice took place and what they would like to do personally over the next six months to grow in this area.

In an effort to ensure that all communities within the college feel welcomed, the Diversity and Inclusion webpage has also been updated to better reflect the progress that has been made over the past years.