Diversity and Inclusion Charter

INTRODUCTION

The State of California passed a law in 1996, known as Proposition 209 (also known as the California Civil Rights Initiative). In hiring process and student enrolment, it is lawfully required that a department do everything possible to increase the applicant pool and then not to consider race, ethnicity, gender, or other identified characteristics during the subsequent interviewing, deliberation, and selection phases of a job search. The following Diversity and Inclusion charter, adopted from the CNU Diversity and Inclusion Policy, is designed to provide a framework to achieve the important contribution that come from an institutional environment rich in diversity, and in the contextual legal parameters of Proposition 209.

I. CHARTER STATEMENT

Diversity and Inclusion

California Northstate University College of Medicine (CNUCOM) considers diversity an integral part of the entire academic enterprise. Blending of different life and cultural experiences is of prime importance in the selection of faculty and staff and in the selection of students who will serve as future physicians. CNUCOM seeks to foster a broad and diverse community of faculty, staff, and students to enrich the educational environment and expand the knowledge base for our students. The value of this diversity emphasis for CNUCOM educational programs and staffing will be realized by the production of culturally competent physicians who can serve our nation’s increasing diverse population.

Promoting Diversity

While Proposition 209 (Article I, section 31 of California Constitution) prohibits the University from discriminating against or “granting preferential treatment” to any individual or group on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, color, or national origin, CNU College of Medicine remains committed to recruitment, retention, and advancement of qualified students, faculty, administrators, and staff to achieve its mission of academic excellence and community service through diversity and equal opportunity. Page 2 of 3 The College of Medicine believes that diversity enhances the educational environment and enriches the experience of the faculty, staff, and students. CNUCOM aims to create a culture in which everyone feels valued and included.

Diversity initiatives include:

  • Recruiting and retaining diverse faculty, staff and student body;
  • Creating and evaluating diversity initiatives;
  • Produce an Annual Diversity and Inclusion Report;
  • Advising Admission Committee, Faculty and Staff Search Committee based upon the annual Diversity and Inclusion report;
  • Developing educational and training sessions for faculty, staff and students to ensure cultural competency;
  • Engaging the community through programs to increase diversity in the health care professions.

Diversity Definition:

CNU College of Medicine defines and measures diversity of its medical students, faculty, staff, and senior administrative staff as follows:

Student, Faculty, and Staff Diversity

The College of Medicine values all dimensions of diversity among students, faculty, staff and administrators, including but not limited to age, race/ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, physical ability, geographic locations, and socioeconomic up-bringing. The College of Medicine has extended the following diversity categories that have been shown to be underrepresented in the student body, healthcare workforce and leadership positions in medicine as initial focus: Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, and Native Americans. In California many of these underrepresented ethnic and racial groups are also associated with disadvantaged socio-economic status.

II. SCOPE/COVERAGE

This charter applies to College of Medicine faculty, staff, and students and reflect theUniversity’s Diversity and Inclusion Charter.

III. PROCEDURE

  1. The College of Medicine’s Admissions Committee conducts a holistic admissions process whereby the College’s compelling interest towards creating a diverse student population that will contribute to the educational depth and breadth of the campus will be realized.
  2. College of Medicine’s Faculty Search Committees are charged with upholding the College’s compelling educational interests in recruiting a diverse faculty as a central tenet of the academic search and hiring process.
  3. Staff Hiring: Those charged with the responsibility for hiring qualified staff to work in the various capacities necessary to operate a College of Medicine, are expected to keep as a central tenet of the hiring process the University’s and College’s compelling interests in recruiting and maintaining a diverse support staff.
  4. The College of Medicine’s Office of Faculty Development, along with the members of the Curriculum Committee, serve in the development of educational and training sessions for faculty, staff and students to ensure a proficient level of cultural competency.