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College of Human Medicine

2022 Dean’s Advisory Committee on Diversity

April

Approval of Meeting Minutes

A motion was made and seconded to approve the March 14, 2022, meeting minutes. The meeting minutes were approved as written.

Committee Goals and Roles

  • Members recapped events of the week of April 11; proud of GR students for coordinating a well-done march to protest Patrick Lyoya’ shooting death. It was impactful, consisted of a multicultural group, and not planned by SNMA. Announced a planned vigil for April 19 at 8pm in EL at the rock.
  • Discussion took place regarding how to engage faculty in a thoughtful manner and provide opportunities for common causes to build community. Some ideas were:
    • Using this committee to synthesize how to improve the opportunity for the college to make a difference and how best to go about creating educational piece about police brutality and how it affects different disparities in medicine.
    • Noting that faculty at large are not trained to cope with trauma, arranging conversations and interprofessional education with explicit bias training and including trauma informed care seems appropriate. Dr. Farha Abbasi explained her session on disenfranchised grief, psychological trauma, engaging social workers, etc.
    • Inviting the MSU Trauma Services and Training Network (TSTN) group to talk to this group regarding developing trauma informed policy. This training is lacking in the medical field. It was noted that training needs to be intentional and not delivered in phases or pieces at a time.

LCME Definitions

W. Lipscomb reviewed LCME Element 3.3 and asked committee members to discuss keeping groups as defined or add/change different category(s).

Table 3.3-1 | Diversity Categories

Provide the specific diversity categories identified in medical school policies that guide recruitment and retention activities for medical students, faculty, and senior administrative staff. Note that the medical school may use different diversity categories for each of these groups. If different diversity categories apply to any of these groups, provide each relevant definition. If the category requires a definition (e.g., the specific definition of “rural” or “socioeconomically disadvantaged,” provide that below.

Medical Students:

  • American Indian/Alaskan Native
  • Black/African American
  • Hispanic/Latino
  • Native Hawaiian/ Other Pacific Islander
  • Disadvantaged - E01
  • Disadvantaged – E02
  • Rural

Faculty:

  • American Indian/Alaskan Native
  • Black/African American
  • Hispanic/Latino
  • Native Hawaiian/ Other Pacific Islander
  • Disadvantaged - E01 - This is not a designated faculty diversity category (Data is not included in MSU HR database)
  • Disadvantaged – E02 - This is not a designated faculty diversity category (Data is not included in MSU HR database)
  • Rural - This is not a designated faculty diversity category (Data is not included in MSU HR database)
  • Women

Senior Administrative Staff:

  • American Indian/Alaskan Native
  • Black/African American
  • Hispanic/Latino
  • Native Hawaiian/ Other Pacific Islander
  • Disadvantaged - E01 - This is not a designated senior administrative staff diversity category (Data is not included in MSU HR database)
  • Disadvantaged – E02 - This is not a designated senior administrative staff diversity category (Data is not included in MSU HR database)
  • Rural - This is not a designated senior administrative staff diversity category (Data is not included in MSU HR database)
  • Women

Discussion took place about broadening the categories. Specifically for genderqueer folks and indigenous/Pacific Islander communities.

A motion to endorse the above categories as presented was made, seconded, and passed. The document will be shared with the CAC for their endorsement in preparation for LCME. In addition, members expressed interest in forming a work group on the subject for further discussion and future recommendations.

1964 Project - TABLED

DEI Contributions to RPT - Nara

  • Parameswaran explained that going forward for the next RPT cycle (2022-2023), faculty will have to include contributions to DEI in their packets, as well as in annual reviews. As a result, CHM must come up with a set of criteria.
  • The RPT Committee recommended that criteria be uncomplicated, offer knowledge acquisition, planning, incorporation, and impact.
  • RPT Committee is modifying a list of examples.
  • Convey that adding contributions is not a full-scale change but a building of things already being done.
  • In addition to the comments/suggestions made at the meeting, committee members were asked to send feedback to N. Parameswaran. Next step is to get CAC endorsement to include criteria for next cycle.

Next Steps

  • 1964 Project
  • Create work group sign-up on Teams site. S. Valles will create and send an email for signups

Adjournment at 6:59pm

 

March

Introductions

Members introduced themselves.

Approval of Meeting Minutes

A motion to approve the February 1, 2022, meeting minutes was made and seconded. The meeting minutes were approved as written.

Election of Co-chairs

Drs. Ade Olomu and Sean Valles submitted nominee statements requesting to be considered for co-chair positions on the committee. The statements were distributed before the meeting. As the only two nominees, they were treated as a slate. A motion to approve the slate of nominees was made and seconded. Ade Olomu and Sean Valles were unanimously chosen as co-chairs.

Terms for Inaugural/Founding Committee Members

Discussion took place regarding the need and procedures involved to seek an additional year for inaugural committee member terms, as the committee didn’t get started until January 2022. It was determined that the CAC will need to grant the approval and that it is possible to facilitate extending student terms, as well as faculty terms.

The following motion was made, seconded, and approved.

Recognizing that the Dean's Advisory Committee on Diversity was only able to begin its work in February 2022, after the majority of the academic year was over, the committee requests an extension of the appointment period for the members already elected.

Co-chairs will send the request to the CAC Steering Committee.

Round Table Discussion

1855 Professorships/1964 Professorships

The 1855 Professorships Initiative is university based and intended to increase scholarship in diversity, equity, and inclusion at MSU through new faculty positions. The proposed 1964 Professorship Initiative would be college based and intended to increase scholarship in diversity, equity, and inclusion within CHM through new faculty positions. The significance of the year 1964 relates to the founding of the College of Human Medicine and the year of the Civil Rights Act.

Interim Dean Sousa asked for feedback about ways to expand diversity, equity, and inclusion in the college by possibly partnering with the university’s 1855 Professorship Initiative and/or establishing a 1964 Professorship Initiative within the college. If it is decided that the 1964 Professorship Initiative is the way to go, departments would need to put forth proposals early in the fall for a trial run/pilot project.

Members offered the following feedback:

In favor of retaining control/keeping program within the college; align with strategic plan; consider upcoming LCME visit; be an example of transparency; opportunity to study the areas that need to increase diversity; align with medical innovation; integration within the community; consider mental health perspective; parallel opportunity for students and postdocs; need things for the basic sciences – bring some life into them; also clinical departments; consider how diverse the college is; interdepartmental activity; filling voids and/or building on strengths—determined by rubric; include expansion and creativity—think outside the box; must think strategically about how to support those faculty who are hired; must provide and environment of inclusion; proposal demonstrates equity, inclusion, and justice; outline sponsorship plan; educate members of individual departments about inclusion and equity; policies/persons/projects; how programming can support students in medical education programs—students could guide; by not training students in DEI, we are promoting health disparities; DEI plan in project for all components; cross-disciplinary science; 1855 Initiative cut across all aspects—need to tweak it to fit the college initiative;  

Discussion regarding the actual proposal

  • Ask for submissions of a Letter of Intent – one page. Then choose from those who should write a full proposal. Need to be very clear on how the letter will be evaluated.
  • Clearly spell things out in the rubric.
  • Give voice to faculty with Letter of Intent submissions. For those chosen to submit a proposal, specifics about what the chair/department will do to support it would need to be included.
  • In addition to salary, startup needs to be competitive.

Next Steps

  • It was decided that monthly committee meetings would be beneficial, as Interim Dean Sousa would like the 1964 Professorship Initiative organized by August. Forming workgroups to work outside regular meeting schedule is an option. Faith Peterson will send calendar invites for a regular meeting to be held on a Monday.
  • Members were asked to come to the meeting with two to three ideas of top priorities. Those ideas will be discussed at the April meeting.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 7:05 pm.

 

February

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Interim Dean Sousa remarked on the importance of having a committee where students, faculty, and staff can engage the dean’s office on issues of diversity and thanked everyone who agreed to serve.

Review of the Bylaws Language

Members read through the sections of the CHM Bylaws (4.2.11.1 – 4.2.11.4) pertaining to the establishment and charge of the committee to highlight the fundamental charge of voice and input, as well as helping implement particular efforts. Interim Dean Sousa noted several efforts underway that he hopes this committee will provide input on, including

  • Upcoming Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accreditation and how to address some concerns of the LCME.
  • Strategic planning data.
  • How the college prioritizes efforts to obtain 1855 funding (diversity hires).
  • Faculty hiring over 7 – 10 years related to the C.S. Mott Foundation grant, Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building, Henry Ford expansion, etc. 

Introductions

Members briefly introduced themselves and stated an area/issue they would like to focus on.

Committee Startup Discussion 

Dr. Lipscomb provided an update on initiatives and changes begun at the university level. The four strategic goals of the presidential DEI Report and Plan were highlighted. They are 1) Increase Diversity; 2) Ensure Equity; 3) Promotion Inclusion; and 4) Enhance Outreach and Engagement. The diversity standards of the college need to be addressed as part of the LCME accreditation. Diversity is spread throughout the curriculum, so many areas need to be addressed, including defining what groups are included when using the term “diverse student body,” offers to and retention of faculty – representation, climate, how individuals can grow and develop, etc.

She noted the significance of having this committee established as part of the college bylaws, which creates a foundational base. Committee decisions on what to focus on become a significant start to something that becomes the fabric of the college.

Interim Dean Sousa explained that a variety of different projects/efforts with short or long timelines can be going on simultaneously, and that decisions made early in the formation of the committee won’t lock the committee into a specific direction.

A statement about increasing diversity by establishing an equitable and inclusive environment where everyone participates and where blind spots are identified was put forth. With that in mind, concerns were raised about the slow organization of the committee (over 6 months from announcement to the first meeting) and the message it sends to end some committee member terms in August. Trepidation that the committee may be fulfilling a mandate by discussing issues but never initiating action was expressed. Also, the timing and lack of transparency surrounding the call for 1855 (diversity hiring) proposals at the university level was brought up.

Interim Dean Sousa acknowledged the concerns and apologized that the committee didn’t get started sooner. He noted that, while too often committees about conversation and not doing things, it’s up to the committee to come up with what we want to do.

Discussion took place regarding collaborations and the possibility of replicating working models, such as the Community Collaborative Space in Flint, in other communities. Connecting and establishing partnerships within the college and university was also highlighted and discussed. The possibility of a cross-campus/cross medical school campuses network was brought up.

Involving community members in the hiring process to interview candidates and advise the hiring committee was presented as key.

Election of Co-Chairs

It was decided that committee members should know more about people not in attendance before co-chairs are chosen. The following motion was made and accepted.

Postpone co-chairs election until the next meeting. In the meantime, ask members to self-nominate or nominate another member and provide a couple of sentences explaining why they would like to be a co-chair. Nominations to be sent to F. Peterson to be compiled and distributed before the next meeting.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 pm.