Diversity

The administration of the CVM is working diligently to enhance the learning environment for current and prospective students through initiatives designed to increase the diversity of faculty, staff, and students. These initiatives and programs have been integrated with the overall diversity efforts of the university and have placed the CVM in a leadership role in this area.

Currently, Dean Eleanor Green serves as Chair of the Texas A&M University Council on Climate and Diversity. Additionally, Dr. Kenita Rogers, the Associate Dean for Professional Programs, has been named CVM Director of Climate and Diversity. Also impacting diversity, current Veterinary Pathobiology Department Head, Dr. Linda Logan, has been named Director of International Programs. In recognition of their diversity efforts, the college has also been awarded $310,000 over the past two years from the Texas A&M University.

The International Programs Committee has been successful in securing more than $100K through reallocation funds from the university to enhance student learning by providing study abroad opportunities around the world. Undergraduate and DVM students have been able to participate in programs in Europe and South America, as well as a new program that has been initiated in South Africa.

Additionally, members of the administration, faculty, and staff have actively participated in diversity seminars that have been offered through main campus. These training programs have prepared members of the CVM family to meaningfully engage in an open and diverse environment and to serve as leaders in future diversity initiatives.

Financial support for diversity programs and recruitment has been integral to the success of the CVM's initiatives. The Patterson Minority Fellowship and the TAMU-AFS Diversity Fellowships have enabled the CVM to recruit high caliber students from underrepresented minority groups. These funds are designed to assist these students with scholarly activities as they pursue veterinary residencies in a specialty area or doctoral degrees in biomedical sciences.

In addition, the Biomedical Sciences undergraduate program has continued to reach throughout the State of Texas, building 2 + 2 articulation agreements with junior colleges that facilitate the admission of students into the Biomedical Sciences program after successful completion of two years of a prerequisite curriculum at the junior college. These agreements, and the active recruitment and advising of students by the Biomedical Sciences advisory team, have led to one of the highest levels of diversity within the university. Many of the Biomedical Sciences students are also the first in their families to attend college.

The CVM will continue to assess current initiatives and plan for future programs that will address our growing focus on diversity. As a leader within the university, the CVM recognizes the importance of a strategic focus to create a welcoming environment that fosters teamwork, tolerance, and collaborative learning.

Partial sponsorship of this program has been made available by a generous donation from the Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation through the endowment of the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine.