Texas A&M CVM Recognized With Third Consecutive Diversity Award
The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM) is one of only two colleges of veterinary medicine in the nation to be named a third consecutive recipient of the 2019 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
The national honor, announced Oct. 15, recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The 42 recipients of the 2019 annual Health Professions HEED Award—representing U.S. medical, dental, pharmacy, osteopathic, nursing, veterinary, allied health, and other health schools and centers—will be featured in the December issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. Texas A&M University was also named a 2019 HEED award as a “Diversity Champion.”
“That the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences has now received this award for three consecutive years is a true testament to the college’s commitment to creating a culture that is welcoming to and inclusive for all,” said Dr. Eleanor Green, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M University.
“Our faculty, staff, administrators, and students continuously discuss and reaffirm the importance of working and learning in inclusive environments,” Green said. “While there is always work to be done, we work every day to continue moving forward to create a culture of encouragement and trust.”
The CVM offers inclusive climate trainings for mediation certification, suicide prevention, difficult dialogues, speaking out against injustice, and becoming an Aggie Ally.
“Winning this HEED award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine for the third year in a row is an incredible honor for our college,” said Dr. Kenita Rogers, executive associate dean and director for Diversity & Inclusion. “We work together to recruit a diverse student body, faculty, and staff, and we celebrate the contributions of every member of our college toward this effort. This work makes our entire college community better prepared to live in our ever-changing world.”
Additionally, recruitment and retention of outstanding underrepresented minority (URM) students can be seen in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program and in undergraduate and graduate programs through the development of memorandum of agreements (MOAs) with colleges and universities across the state. These programs are designed to promote inclusion, diversity, and access.
The CVM also has strong student and college organizations dedicated to supporting a welcoming learning environment. These include the Graduate Student Association, which provides consistent multicultural programming; the Council on Diversity and Professionalism (CDP), a committee that includes undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff, as well as a group of elected representatives from each veterinary class that works to promote an inclusive, respectful, and welcoming environment in the college; VOICE (Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment), a student-run organization that addresses socio-cultural awareness among veterinary students, faculty, and staff; and Broad Spectrum (PRIDE), which works to connect, support, and empower LGBTQ+ veterinary students and allies.
In addition, the new CVM White Coats, a team of veterinary student leaders who work to foster a positive culture at the CVM, are dedicated to maintaining a culture of universal acceptance and selfless leadership in order to preserve the ideals of inclusion and excellence within the CVM.
“The HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees—and best practices for both—continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.”
One other college of veterinary medicine across the country was selected for a HEED award—The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine is the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education and is well-known for its annual Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, the only award recognizing colleges and universities for outstanding diversity and inclusion efforts across their campuses.
For more information about the 2019 Health Professions HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.
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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Interim Director of CVM Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Science; jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu; 979-862-4216
