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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
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
HISPANIC HERITAGE EVENT (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER)
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.
The College of Nursing along with partners (The WELL and the USF Office of Multicultural Affairs) joined forces to host the 2021 Black Heritage series of events. The event “Celebrating Blackness – A Poetry Slam” kicked off the month-long celebration where participants shared their appreciation of Black culture and described what being Black means to them.
The celebration continued with an amazing panel discussion entitled “Caring for the Diverse African American Community: Tips and Tricks for Providing Culturally Sensitive Care,” which addressed healthcare experiences and innovative solutions, providing participants with an increased awareness of culturally sensitive care for the diverse African American community. The theme, Celebrating Blackness, continued with author Dána-Ain Davis, Professor of Urban Studies at Queens College, serving as the keynote speaker where she presented on Obstetric Racism, Pregnancy & Premature Birth. The month-long series also included two movie nights streamed using “Netflix Party.” Both events, which featured movies/shows (Hidden Figures and Self-Made) created by Black directors and featuring Black actors, allowed participants to learn the accomplishments of notable Black figures in American History. These virtual events celebrating Black Heritage Month were listed on the University Black Heritage calendar, were approved by the USF Global Citizens Project, and were promoted at USF Health.
USF HEALTH MULTICULTURAL FIESTA WEEK (FEBRUARY)
The College of Nursing worked collaboratively with USF Health to support the week-long Multicultural Fiesta, which was kicked off with a presentation from Dr. Cheyenne Currall, a seasoned global business executive and advisor and trusted corporate psychologist. The week also included an IncrediBULL Race, where quests and clues were presented and participants competed for prizes. A dynamic Healthcare Panel of medical residents shared their practical experiences in cultural competency. The Week concluded with several “fan favorites:” the Cultural Bowl Trivia Competition and the Virtual Wine Tasting & Food Pairing Event with the Columbia Restaurant Group.
USF Health, USF Health Shared Student Services (The WELL), and the College of Nursing collaborated to create “Together: In Our Own Words,” a new video series exploring the USF APIDA community’s culture and stories. Please visit the USF Health YouTube channel to watch all 4 episodes in this series.
PRIDE MONTH CELEBRATION (JUNE)
The College of Nursing collaborated with USF Health Shared Student Services to promote the “Show us your Pride Challenge,” a social media campaign and LGBTQIA+ Pride video showcasing what Pride and Love mean; the campaign aims to include all members of the LGBTQIA+ community and allies to participate, and videos are now being developed with the end goal of showcasing these on the USF Health YouTube
channel. The use of social media in support of Pride Month (usfhealthnurse #LGBTQIA+) can raise awareness to this important issue in healthcare and beyond. For this #Pride Month and those in the future, cultural connectedness in ongoing efforts is emphasized to foster unity through understanding and acceptance (#nursingpridemonth2021).
Statements
A Civil Unrest statement was issued in response to the civil unrest in our nation and to provide solidarity to the African American community to speak out against injustices. An Anti-Asian Discrimination Statement was issued in response to the Anti-Asian racism and violence occurring in the nation. We will continue to educate ourselves and celebrate our differences, with the ultimate goal of better serving our students and our diverse communities to achieve health equity.
The Chief Officer of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action plan will guide the continued efforts of the Diversity Committee to promote and enhance a culturally and ethnically diverse student body, faculty, staff, and environment. The College of Nursing will work collaboratively to plan diversity-related initiatives, seeking USF Global Citizens Project approval and inclusion on the USF-wide calendar of events as appropriate.
