At the U of M School of Public Health (SPH), we believe that health is a human right. We are at a pivotal moment and have much work to do to become the school we want to be: A powerful advocate for equity and racial justice on our campus, in higher education, and in our communities across the country.
SPH started the process of creating a strategic plan for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in January 2020. This strategic plan focuses on making SPH an organization that centers anti-racism and anti-oppression. Lauren Eldridge, associate director for DEI, leads this effort with an SPH committee composed of faculty, staff, students, and alumni and with guidance from the consulting firm Strategic Diversity Initiatives (SDI). As part of the strategic planning process, SDI recently conducted a comprehensive climate assessment to gain a baseline understanding of the culture and climate at SPH.
At the October SPH Community Forum, Lauren will share an overview of the strategic planning process, timeline, and goals, and SooJin Pate, SDI consultant, will present overview findings from the climate assessment and lead us in a full group discussion.
During breakout discussions, participants will be formed into faculty, staff, and student groups to discuss the climate assessment results in more detail and to generate ideas that will move SPH closer to its goals as a just, equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist community.
