Diversity and Inclusion
Our commitment to creating an inclusive community
The University of Rochester envisions itself as a community that welcomes, encourages, and supports individuals who desire to contribute to and benefit from the institution’s missions of teaching, research, patient care, performance, and community service. In a pluralistic culture, that community includes faculty, students, and staff who represent important differences.
Read more:
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The University’s statement on diversity and inclusion
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The University’s statement of educational philosophy
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The University’s Vision and Values
Diversity and Inclusion: Schools and Centers
Each of the University’s schools and colleges have offices devoted to diversity initiatives at the school level.
- Arts, Sciences & Engineering
- Eastman School of Music
- School of Medicine and Dentistry
- School of Nursing
- Simon Business School
- Warner School of Education
- University of Rochester Medical Center
News and announcements
Mercedes Ramírez Fernández, associate vice provost for strategic affairs and diversity at Virginia Tech, will join the University on July 1 as Rochester’s first vice president for equity and inclusion. University President Richard Feldman announced Fernández’s appointment, which follows a national search that began this past fall. The University Board of Trustees also announced that this position has been endowed through donations and named the Richard Feldman Vice President for Equity and Inclusion to honor President Feldman, who is stepping down at the end of June.
The vice president will lead the new Office of Equity and Inclusion and work closely with deans and other senior leaders and campus constituencies to create, implement and lead an institution-wide diversity strategic plan that includes recruitment, training, communication, policy and metrics. Working with campus diversity leaders, the vice president will integrate this strategy with federally mandated anti-discrimination compliance, and will also identify and pursue opportunities to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment, including promoting the University’s Vision, Values, and Culture of Respect.
CTSI and Rochester PostDoc Partnership present: DEAF ROC 2019: Navigating Deaf and Hearing Collaborations in Science from August 8-9, 2019 at the University of Rochester.
This two-day national conference will bring together scientific faculty, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students, and staff from DeafHH and hearing backgrounds to network and build stronger collaborations
A series of summer events—including brown-bag lunches, happy hours, and coffee meetups—are scheduled to help launch the new Rochester chapter of the American Council on Education Women’s Network. The group, which aims to facilitate the networking of women interested in pursuing leadership opportunities in higher education, is open to all faculty and administrative staff who identify as women or non-binary. Email dei@rochester.edu with questions.
The Susan B. Anthony Center hosts the annual National Girlfriends Networking Day event from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, in the Adolph Auditorium (1-7619), Medical Center. The event, which will be streamed live, features a panel of diverse women leaders discussing their career paths. Questions will be taken via Twitter from worldwide participants. Lunch will be provided, and a brief networking session will follow. Registration is required by Friday, May 24.
Programs and Initiatives
Racism and Hate Speech: ‘We’re better than THAT’
The “We’re better than THAT” campaign educates students, faculty and staff on ways to approach difficult conversations on divisive topics and to stop hate speech and racism in our community.
Safe Space Training
The Safe Space program addresses ways to reduce homophobia and heterosexism to make our institution a safer and freer environment for all members of our community regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.
BUILD Xavier
BUILD Xavier (Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity) is a part of a larger initiative by the National Institutes of Health: Enhancing the Diversity of the NIH-funded workforce. Xavier University of Louisiana has developed a program called Project PATHWAYS, which includes several components targeting students, faculty, and several non-academic centers on Xavier’s campus. The University of Rochester is one of the partnering institutions with Xavier University. This program encourages diversity in the scientific research workforce.
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