Diversity and Inclusion at the CVM

Diversity matters. Differences of experience, culture, and lifestyle help to create a community where new ideas flourish and everyone feels safe, respected, and included. The CVM is committed to a welcoming, inclusive environment for all students, faculty, and staff. After all, we are strongest when we reflect the diversity in our larger communities.

To lead our diversity initiatives, in 2020, we formed the CVM Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion led by an Interim Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Prior to that, in 2017, the Council for Inclusion, Diversity, and Awareness (CIDA) was convened. This College-wide council of faculty, staff, and students is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for all, as well as develops, monitors and evaluates the progress of the College’s strategic plan for diversity. CIDA’s responsibilities include coordination of activities that support and strengthen our College’s climate of inclusiveness and advising faculty, staff and students regarding issues of diversity. CIDA also serves as the UGA representative to the Diversity Equity and Inclusion working group of the Southeast Veterinary Education Consortium (SEVEC). 

Message from the Assistant Dean

Welcome from the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion! 

What a year it has been! Many events have happened since the creation of my office, from the 60^th Anniversary of Desegregation of the University to the first-year class of 150 students joining our community. I want to highlight some of the programs implemented to create a more inclusive and welcoming community here at the College:

• Faculty and staff completed a short climate survey along with DVM students, and the results indicated that perspectives differ between the two groups about the climate at the College.  Many ideas came from the Listening Tour completed in Fall 2020 with faculty, staff, graduate students, and house officers. 
• The Pathways Program via the Office of Institutional Diversity is an excellent way to complete four of the six courses needed for the UGA Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion.  The first session was during the summer and well attended. This Fall Semester, there will be two sessions, and in the Spring Semester of 2022, there will be two final sessions.  These sessions are an excellent way to get most of the certificate requirements completed. 
• To help recruit more diverse faculty candidates, our office is posting faculty positions in various spaces that reach those communities.  As more and more faculty are needed with the expansion to 150 students, it becomes more and more essential to increase the diversity of our faculty.  Faculty search committees are now looking for Diversity statements in letters of application for those positions to see how these potential candidates can create and foster a more inclusive community.
• Other programming events included CIDA cohosting with UGA Broad Spectrum a panel called Transnational Perspectives that featured transgender DVM and Police professionals from the US and abroad.  CIDA will be hosting a new series called “Thru the Lens,” a revamp of a program hosted by the College long ago to hear about each other’s stories and learn about colleagues here at the College. Look for those flyers bimonthly, with the first one in September.  
• Our office hosted a Town Hall along with the Dean and Drs. Sakamoto and Ye for our Asian community members to express their thoughts and concerns about the events that happened in Atlanta.  VOICE and CIDA will cohost a short course- Anti-Racism 201, focusing on Asian Americans with sessions throughout the academic year.  The CVM is now more aware of programs and events on the main campus, with significant events and opportunities highlighted in CVM Today and various listhosts.  Dr. Carmichael gave a Ground Rounds presentation on microaggressions, the first of many DEI topics to come.
• Staff and student class DEI reps have been implemented to keep a finger on the pulse of the College.  CIDA has been expanded to include house officers, graduate students, and more CVM staff.

The College updated its Strategic Plan for Diversity and Inclusion in Fall 2021, and the committee has broad representation from across the CVM: faculty, staff, graduate students, DVM students, Post Docs, house officers (residents and interns), and research personnel from both clinical and basic sciences.  This document will guide us into the future and prepare graduates of our programs to be more aware of different cultures and identities and put that knowledge into practice out the world.

DEI Student Representatives

Each of the cohorts in our DVM program has a diversity, equity, and inclusion student representative. DEI student representatives serve as a point of contact for their classmates to express their concerns and/or provide input on the current state of DEI at the College.

Affinity Groups

Affinity group membership includes representatives from across the College of Veterinary Medicine, inclusive of class representatives along with students, faculty and staff who are interested in supporting DEI efforts at the CVM.

• Student Association of Veterinary Medical Professionals (SAVMA)
• Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community of Empowerment (VOICE)
• Pride Veterinary Medical Community (Broad Spectrum)
• National Association of Black Veterinarians (SNABV)
• Association of Asian Veterinary Medical Professionals (AAVMP)
• Latinx Veterinary Medical Association (Latinx VMA)

Non-Discrimination Statement

The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine encourages its members to view, evaluate, and treat all persons in any professional activity or circumstance in which they may be involved, solely as individuals on the basis of their own personal abilities, qualifications, and other relevant characteristics.

The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine confronts and rejects all forms of prejudice and discrimination that have led to misunderstanding, hostility, and injustice. These include, but are not limited to, those based on race, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, parental status, religious beliefs, military or veteran status, political beliefs, geographic, socioeconomic, and educational background and any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law.