The Department of Neurology’s new Committee on Diversity and Inclusion convened for the first time on Friday, June 26, 2020. The committee’s purpose is to promote diversity within the department’s education, career development, and leadership initiatives. The committee was formed after a recent, virtual, town hall in which members of the department discussed the nationwide protests surrounding the murder of George Floyd and how Neurology should increase its efforts to prevent prejudice and discrimination in the future.
The more than 35 faculty, staff, residents, and fellows in attendance honed in on three main priorities for the committee: recruitment and retention; education and building an inclusive work environment; and community outreach. The committee also established the importance of attending meetings regularly, being respectful of one another, and building a community based on mutual trust.
The committee’s leadership structure will be announced soon, but three co-chairs – 1 faculty, 1 trainee, and 1 non-faculty staff – will ultimately reflect the department’s renewed commitment to diversity and to creative, open, honest, and ongoing dialogue.
It is the department’s hope that the Committee on Diversity and Inclusion will help to level the playing field for all present and future neurology faculty, staff, and trainees regardless of background, and to encourage a more collaborative and inclusive academic culture. In the weeks and months to come, the department looks forward to sharing the committee’s progress on its website, social media platforms, and upcoming newsletter.