STRATEGIC DIRECTION
Welcome to the future of the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Click the plus signs below to learn about the formation of our office and our strategic direction and initiatives.
On July 1, 2020, I, Regina Richards, was appointed as the inaugural Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) and Community Engagement (CE) for the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. At this important juncture, we would like to update the campus community on our progress made to date and next steps going forward.
The central Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement for the CU Anschutz Medical Campus is committed to being the leader and driver of Inclusive Excellence. Our work processes focus on removing racist, biased, oppressive structural systems for underrepresented minorities (URM), Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and other vulnerable populations and stakeholders.
Since our inception, we have not only established a new office team, but designed structures and initiatives to build systems of equity using the guiding principles of Inclusive Excellence. We have formed leadership councils, led forums and built partnerships with the Aurora and campus community, held education and training sessions, begun the process of collecting data on our efforts and more.
This work to date has laid the foundations for important work to be conducted in the coming years, for strategic, systemic and sustainable DEI and CE initiatives, policies and practices that will result in creating a more equitable campus climate.
Our office is honored and enthusiastic to lead the strategic DEI and CE efforts on our campus. These efforts will work collaboratively with all partners utilizing the Inclusive Excellence levers and equity framework for strategic initiatives designed to attract, attain and retain URM, BIPOC and other vulnerable populations.
We will continuously evaluate key performance indicators and outcomes, and standardize accountability measures designed to create a campus culture where everyone feels an increased sense of belonging, has access to programs and practices that optimize their full potential and trajectory and ensures that our campus demonstrates we value diversity, equity and inclusion.
In June 2020, the Black Student Collective Resolution NO. Res-2020-0001 was developed by 40 Black students and allies (led by the CU SOM Student National Medical Association and White Coats for Black Lives Student Groups) on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.
The Resolution was presented to Shanta Zimmer, MD, Regina Richards, PhD, MSW, and to Chancellor Elliman for discussion and action. This Resolution provides over 87 action items for the reduction of racial injustices on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
This Resolution was a fundamental starting point for our office’s strategic focus moving forward.
Chancellor’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement (DEI and CE) Leadership Council
This council is composed of dean-appointed representatives from five schools and colleges and three programs on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus with dedicated paid time. These individuals serve as the collaborative oversight council to assist with developing DEI and CE strategic initiatives for our campus, including setting measurable goals and outcomes for the initiatives. Other members include:
- Vice chancellor for research
- Faculty representatives for Disability Access and Inclusion
- The Office of Advancement
- Associate vice chancellor for student services
- Director of equity and training for the CU Anschutz Medical Campus
- Faculty
- Director of DEI for student senate
- Three student representatives of the Black Student Collective Group
- Staff leadership from the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement including the liaison to the North Aurora community
We are working with our on-campus hospital partners to identify representatives from these institutions for this council. We will also be working with the Department of Biomedical Engineering to appoint a representative.
We analyzed the recommendations in Phase 1 of the Black Student Collective Resolution to identify themes also recognized as issues in the schools, colleges and programs represented on the Chancellor’s Leadership Council. Details were obtained of the progress or impact achieved in the issues identified. These evaluation and analysis efforts were led by our Business Analyst, Kady Nearing, PhD, and Program Director, Jameel Mallory.
There were 14 items that emerged as priority areas for the campus, with seven emerging as the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement campus-wide initiatives. These were voted on, accepted and supported by Chancellor Elliman.
The campus-wide initiatives are as follows:
Confidential reporting resources
A place to report mistreatment, incidences of bias and microaggressions, acts of oppression and marginalization. Further exploration is needed which includes gathering information from the Office of Equity.
Centralized anti-racist curriculum and training
Specifically, clinical research utilizing an equity lens, as well as consideration of the Social Determinants of Health and dissemination and implementation of equity practices in the clinical and research mission-focused areas (which is applicable to all areas).
Equitable admissions practices (also known as holistic review practices)
Education and training to understand targeted recruitment goals.
Recruitment and retention practices
Using an equity lens for students, staff, faculty, and trainees.
Centralized mentorship program
For staff, students, faculty, and trainees.
Faculty affairs
Promotion and tenure policies and practices, search committee practices, no tolerance policies and more.
Center for Health Equity
This Center is in development with the strategic process being led by Drs. Regina Richards and Mark Earnest.
The Chancellor’s DEICE Leadership Council members were assigned to work groups and identified 2-4 priority areas, SMART goals and key performance indicators and outcomes measures for each initiative. This work was completed on May 31, 2021. There was an official report distributed campus-wide on July 1, 2021.
Drs. Regina Richards and Mark Earnest are co-chairing the strategic planning for the Center for Health Equity. This Center is a priority area fully supported by Chancellor Elliman and Dean John Reilly. Civic Canopy was contracted to lead the steering committee (composed of members from CU Anschutz Medical Campus and the North Aurora and Denver communities).
The Office of DEICE is developing a robust database led by Jameel Mallory where all campus DEICE efforts will be tracked and outcome measures will be analyzed.
Campus Survey
We work in collaboration with the CU System Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team and are strategically working on DEI and CE efforts and initiatives. One such priority was the campus-wide climate survey, which launched in October 2021 and closed on November 19, 2021.
Please note: Effective April 1, 2021 all climate surveys are required to be approved by the Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement and evaluated by our education and analyst team for alignment with campus initiatives. Once approved, any survey will be required to launch after December 2022.
Education and Training
Under the leadership of our Director for Equity and Training, Rita Lee, MD, Professor, Division of Internal Medicine, we are developing comprehensive education and training that will include:
- Standardization of equity topics included in curriculums for all schools, colleges and programs
- DEI trainings for faculty, staff and trainees on health equity issues for all schools, colleges and programs
- Development of metrics for reviewing policies and practices using an anti-racist framework
To date, the ODEICE has conducted 30 DEI trainings across campus. Topics include:
- Race in Medicine
- Unconscious Bias
- Identity, Privilege and Power
- Microaggressions
- Upstander Training
- CU Equity Certificate Program
We are developing the following trainings:
- Train-the-Trainer Program
- Healing Justice
- Equity Ambassadors for Search Committees
- Implicit Bias and Microaggressions
We hosted the 2021 CU Diversity Summit in partnership with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team at the CU System Office and our four campus DEI Vice Chancellors. We had 1,010 people register for this event.
Community Engagement
We are continuing the work and partnership with the Resident Leadership Council (RLC) which was previously supported by the Community-Campus Partnership. The RLC is a group of North Aurora community leaders who represent a broad array of residents to inform us of the priority issues of the external community. Gabriela Jacobo is our Community Connector working in partnership with the many key stakeholders in Aurora. Additionally, we continue to support El Alba Catering Cooperative (also previously supported by the Community-Campus Partnership), which is a small business endeavor that is working towards opening a commercial kitchen and dining space at the corner of Colfax and Dayton Street in Aurora.
A Community Advisory Board was established, which consists of community organization representatives and key staff members from the ODEICE. We partner with this group to continue to build and maintain relationships and trust with the external community and to get input on our work as it relates to community efforts.
To continue building connections between the community and the campus, our Community Engagement Manager, Tessa Carlson, prepares and distributes a weekly newsletter comprised of timely community and campus opportunities including jobs, events, volunteer activities and other resources. These opportunities are also listed under the community engagement section of our website.
In the future we plan to host bi-monthly town halls so we can hear from our campus colleagues who engage with the community and identify ways to work together to strengthen our collaboration and foster a campus of inclusion.
LGBTQ+ Hub
The LGBTQ+ Hub, led by Communication and Resource Coordinator, Steven Burton, MPH, was established to be a one-stop-shop that can achieve a campus and Aurora community culture where LGBTQ+ people are highly visible, are fully included and integrated in leadership, day-to-day living, communication and dialogue, and where vibrant partnerships exist between the LGBTQ+ Hub, the campus and Aurora communities-at-large. All programs from the Hub are open to the CU Anschutz Medical Campus and external community. Areas of focus include:
- Community and events
- Support and resources
- Education and advocacy
- Research
Disability Access and Inclusion Program (DAI)
This program launched on July 1, 2021 and is led by Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA who is focusing on building a robust DAI program structure that will include:
- Live trainings and lecture series
- Development of online training modules specific for professional development for faculty, staff, recruitment support, graduate medical education and clinical partners
- Expanded mentoring program
- Evaluation and assessments
- Podcast and other content development
- Resources for accommodations related to recruitment and retention services for candidates with disabilities
- Development of a consortium of researchers focused on advancement of disability research
Strategic Planning
Members of our office were actively involved in the recent campus-wide strategic planning process led by Laura Borgelt, PharmD, MBA and her team in the Office of Strategic Initiatives. Our DEICE initiatives will be integrated into the framework for the overall campus initiatives and priority areas.
DEI Collaborative Meetings
We will convene monthly meetings with colleagues from across campus who are engaged in DEI activities to share best practices, topics of the month, research collaborations and space to support each other and the work.
Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Community Engagement
CU Anschutz
Fitzsimons Building
13001 East 17th Place
Suite CG001
Aurora, CO 80045
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