Diversity Statement

Our department enjoys a diverse climate amongst its faculty, staff, and students. Our intension is to continue to stand out as a department within the College that encourages the inclusion of all and seeks individuals for consideration for positions at all levels irrespective of their nationality, color, sexual orientation, and religious and political beliefs. We continue to support and encourage our faculty, staff, and students to attend events and trainings geared towards diversity and inclusion that are put on by Human Resources and other University groups. We adhere to a standard of making sure that new and incoming members are greeted by a welcoming and genuinely helpful atmosphere. In our future endeavors, we will seek opportunities to improve or enhance our commitment to diversity through new programs, improving existing programs, and through recruitment efforts.

Department Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Our department enjoys a diverse climate amongst its faculty, staff, and students. Our intension is to continue to stand out as a department within the College that encourages the inclusion of all and seeks individuals for consideration for positions at all levels irrespective of their nationality, color, sexual orientation, and religious and political beliefs. We continue to support and encourage our faculty, staff, and students to attend events and trainings geared towards diversity and inclusion that are put on by Human Resources and other University groups. We adhere to a standard of making sure that new and incoming members are greeted by a welcoming and genuinely helpful atmosphere. In our future endeavors, we will seek opportunities to improve or enhance our commitment to diversity through new programs, improving existing programs, and through recruitment efforts.

Best Practices for Hiring, Recruiting, and Retention

We work closely with the HR consultants within the College to ensure high visibility is provided to all our advertisements for positions (at all levels) in appropriate jobs/career sites of organizations that emphasize diversity. We will also make sure that potential candidates that meet Human Resources criteria for diversity are considered and that our interview practices are consistent for each individual.

For graduate students, the process is similar, and we are fortunate that we have always had applicants who are women, and members of minority and under-represented groups. Our department is keen to build upon this and in 2019, we were excited to extend offers to three individuals from URM groups to join the Pathobiology graduate program.

Practices that Promote Integrity and Ethical Behavior

VBS department continues to promote integrity and ethical behavior through regular re-training. The Scholastic and Research Integrity (SARI) ethics course is encouraged for faculty and required for graduate students. We have hosted lunch talks and will more actively pursue more interaction with representatives from the Office for Research Protections (ORP) to instruct our faculty and students on conflict of interest. Faculty who teach VB SC 280, Current Issues in Veterinary Medicine, cover social, ethical, and economic aspects of veterinary medicine. Also, department leadership models integrity and ethical behavior through the thoughtful way they approach issues. By encouraging an open communication with regard to these, among faculty, staff, and students, we come even closer to achieving this goal.