Strategy 6
Create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive UI COM-munity
Foster community and provide resources for students, trainees, faculty and staff, to encourage and support cross-campus and discipline engagement and interaction.
Strategy 6
Target Completion Date: Q2 2026; Progress: 95%
Continue to implement activities of the diversity, equity, and inclusion framework, which was designed to coordinate efforts at the individual, unit, department, campus, and College level.
Key Activities
- Conducted a UI COM Climate Assessment, understand and address the gaps. Working to understand and address the gaps and recommendations of the UI COM College-Wide Climate Assessment. Will report out internally/externally what was done.
- Review and update policies, standards, and bylaws for DEI language.
- Determine the appropriate level and type of DEI support services and resources needed to effectively create a productiveenvironment, enabling all students, residents, faculty, and staff to thrive in their study and career pursuits.
- Continue to conduct the College-Wide Bias Reduction Training and provide educational programming to help improve UI COM stakeholders’ understanding of health disparities in the social context of medicine.
- Publicly recognize innovation, collaboration, and outstanding communication efforts across individuals, units, departments, and/or campus levels around DEI initiatives and goals.
- Bolster the recruitment of a diverse body of students and trainees, support matriculants through graduation.
- Suggest hiring process improvements and creative recruitment methods to help grow and support a more diverse candidatepool of faculty and staff in an effort to advance diversity conversion rates.
- Develop and make public a UI COM DEI Report Card designed to evaluate the progress of DEI Committees, Action Steps, and Initiatives.
Subcommittee Membership
Jo-Ann Archey, Evelyn Figueroa, James Hall, Holly Rosencranz, Constance Umbles-Sailers
Target Completion Date: Q3 & Q4 2026; Progress: 80%
Help to impact the recruitment of and identify support services and resources for a diverse body of students and trainees who embrace UI COM’s vision and values (e.g., leverage community outreach programs, pre-admissions pathways, and pipeline programs.
Key Activities
- Compile and review baseline data of current/past demographic trends at UI COM (for students and trainees) and develop methodologies to address any gaps.
- Invite members of the Admission and Selection committees, interviewers, and other key members involved in the UI COM admission and selection processes to participate in the bias reduction training, and as needed, identify additional resource supports.
- Periodically survey URiM students and trainees to assess resource needs to help improve learning, wellness, and environmental experiences.
- Provide periodic updates to the UI COM community on the Committee’s progress on DEI metrics and initiatives, in alignment with the UIC Diversity Strategic Plan.
Subcommittee Membership
Alesia Hawkins-Jones Jo-Ann Archey, Terri Blevins, Hana Hinkle, Alyssa Lawrence, Constance Umbles-Sailers
Target Completion Date: Q1 2026; Progress: 100%
Enrich faculty/staff diversity through recruitment by growing the diverse candidate pool and improving the conversion rate (i.e., hires) of candidates. Build tools, protocols, and systems for growth and retention.
Key Activities
- Review and make suggestions to adjust the UI COM faculty and staff job description templates to enhance inclusivity and to ensure that content communicated UI COM’s desire and commitment to attract, retain, and advance a diverse workforce.
- In partnership with GME, continue to provide UI COM departments with Holistic training efforts to help mitigate biases in faculty/staff recruitment and hiring practices; and to help improve recruitment and conversion rate of faculty and staff candidates.
- Build an incentive system that properly recognizes departments that create additional pathways for development and advancement, including recognizing efforts and achievements in areas that enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Subcommittee Membership
Elsa Vasquez-Melendez, Memoona Hasnain, Hana Hinkle, Pauline Maki, Steven Sims, Marcelo Soares, Constance Umbles-Sailers, Kelvin Wynn