DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION The purpose of the Diversity Committee is to promote and enhance a culturally and ethnically diverse student body, faculty, staff, and environment. The Chief Officer of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion provides guidance and works closely with the Diversity Committee to support key diversity and equity initiatives for the College. Diversity Committee members also serve on Presidential Advisory Committees, such as the Status of Latinos (SOL), Committee on Black Affairs (COBA), and the Social Justice taskforce. The Committee works to increase knowledge and use of culturally responsive engagement with other faculty, students, staff, and the community through the provision of educational programs, events, training sessions, and experiential activities on issues of diversity relevant to the College and society. The Diversity Café Series, an educational program, completed 10 sessions that focused on a range of diverse topics that engaged members in discussion and sharing. Collaborations with key stakeholders, such as the Office of Multicultural Affairs and USF Health Shared Student Services (the Center for Wellness, Engagement, Leadership, and Learning [The WELL]), continue to support planning of our key events, such as Black Heritage, Hispanic Heritage, Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage, and Pride Month as well as the USF Health Multicultural Week. Over the past year, as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, our signature events were planned and implemented using various virtual platforms to engage our faculty, staff, students, and community members.
Signature Events H I SP A N I C H E R I TAGE EVENT (SEPTEM BER- OCTOBE R) The College of Nursing along with partners (The WELL, Office of Multicultural Affairs, Morsani College of Medicine, Hispanic Association of Pharmacy Students, the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, and West Florida nursing chapter) hosted the Medical Spanish Expo, an annual event to celebrate Hispanic Heritage. The event increased awareness of language access strategies and aimed to provide cross-cultural understanding, appreciation, celebration, and social interactions to break down stereotypes. The event was held virtually with students, faculty, staff, and community partners. The Comida Familiar – Family Food & Recipe Exchange, hosted with partners The WELL and the Hispanic Association of Pharmacists, celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by having participants share a recipe that represents Latinx culture, history, or family traditions. The final event was the USF Health Exhibicion Cultural, which was hosted by The WELL, the College of Nursing, and the Hispanic Association of Pharmacists. Artists from the Tampa Coalition of Hispanic Artists shared their cultural works of art and the stories behind them and invited attendees to share their artwork, cultural artifacts, and stories of their heritage as a part of our live cultural exhibition. These virtual events celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month were listed on the University Hispanic Heritage calendar, were approved by the USF Global Citizens Project, and were promoted at USF Health.
14 | USF College of Nursing Annual Report
