Commitment to Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism

Department Value Statement

We, members of the Boston University Health Sciences Department, affirm unequivocally that Black Lives Matter, and stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, with Black, Brown, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and with all who have and continue to be affected by the racist structures of our society, and injustice.

We condemn the brutality and racist hate, violence, and murder of BIPOC-identified individuals, not only recently but across many centuries. We recognize that centuries of racism persisting in America does not equate to centuries of addressing and eradicating racism, and there is significant work to be done in achieving a truly equitable society. While, primarily, individuals from marginalized communities have been combating oppression throughout history, larger societal movements to tackle systemic racism in this country only started less than 100 years ago. We recognize that racist, oppressive systems have persisted within many organizations, communities, and institutions for much longer. 

We also affirm the rights of all individuals and communities that represent the depth and breadth of the human experience. Specifically, though not exhaustively, we stand in solidarity with LGBTQAI+ identifying individuals, individuals with disabilities, individuals of all body sizes, individuals of all faith traditions, individuals of all race/ethnicities, individuals of all political affiliations, individuals of all nationality, citizenship and immigration statuses, and individuals of all socioeconomic statuses. Wherein each individual may experience both privilege and oppression in their individual experiences, we aim to create a culture and society where each person is empowered to enjoy a life of individual experience, free from individual or systemic oppression. We write this statement, asserting our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion because a free and just society can only be realized when all individuals are pursuing their right to life and their individual experience by equitably being able to live out their full, authentic lives.

Furthermore, we recognize that Boston has significant racist roots, including but not limited to disparities in opportunities offered to Bostonians in housing, education, access to healthcare, transportation, and other resources necessary to live and thrive. Specifically, Boston still suffers from the lasting effects of discriminatory urban development and housing practices that correlate with significantly different health outcomes between neighborhoods within the city (see this article from the BU School of Public Health , this piece in Boston Magazine, and this article from EGC Boston). Our commitment to equity and justice in the classroom extends into our communities as well.

We recognize many diversity, equity, and inclusion statements are often read as performative, and were created in reaction to the recent events that have taken place that have received significant media attention. We recognize that these recent events merely scratch the surface of the oppressive and violent roots that this nation was founded upon. In the hopes of being proactive in our determination to achieve equity, we have concluded this statement with actions that are currently being taken, and actions that we are working to bring to the fore to reify our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We cannot remain silent. We acknowledge this statement as a starting point for our socially just, antiracist, anti-imperialist, anti-heteronormative, and anti-ableist work, rather than an end point in and of itself. We are committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in science and beyond, and strive to counteract the underrepresentation of many racial and ethnic, disability, economically disadvantaged, female-identifying and LGBTQIA+ identities in the scientific community.

The healthcare, educational, and social systems where we live, learn, and work are built upon, and maintained by systemically and structurally racist and oppressive systems. We recognize the violations of ethics, human rights, and crimes against humanity that have taken place within these institutions. Historically, health sciences as a field has exploited marginalized individuals and communities in the pursuit of scientific gains meted out to the privileged. The consequences of this history remain evident and influential today and the structures of racism are reinforced by omission of the fact that our society created the systems that allowed these events to happen. Therefore, it is especially important for us as members of the Health Sciences Department to clearly recognize and identify, and then disrupt/dismantle, these historical and perpetuated systemic barriers that oppress certain individual experiences.

Action Plan

The Department of Health Sciences comprises three programs: Health Science, Human Physiology, and the Programs in Nutrition. Each of these fields faces overlapping yet distinct challenges in equity and antiracist/anti-bias work. Each of these programs is actively working to address and eradicate racism and other forms of bias. Each program has access to many college and university-wide trainings on diversity and inclusion and participate in these programs on an individual basis across the academic year.  In addition to these university/college initiatives, Health Sciences programs are engaging in a number of actions including but not limited to: curriculum revisions and course development dedicated to antiracism and anti-bias; inclusive pedagogy; research and scholarship centering on diversity and inclusion; review of graduate application processes using a diversity and inclusion lens; engagement in diversity and inclusion minded programs (e.g., Posse Foundation, Boston Alliance for Diversity in Dietetics). 

We recognize the actions mentioned above are simultaneously non-exhaustive and not enough. Science and practice are ever changing. We, as members of the Health Sciences Department, are committed to a process of unlearning and relearning, grounded in humility when we make mistakes, and incorporating lessons learned from our mistakes to move forward in our work as individuals and as a department as a whole toward the achievement of a diverse, inclusive, and equitable department.

In order to ensure achievement of a truly diverse, inclusive, and equitable department, we are working to establish systems of accountability. These systems have been proposed to the Department of Health Sciences Chair with a goal to achieve wide-spread adoption by all who are members of the department. These actions also are consistent with pillars in both the College’s and the University’s strategic plans.  Specifically, Boston University’s BU 2030 strategic plan pillar number 3 is “Diversity, equity, and inclusion”.  The university has pledged to “be a more diverse institution with equitable access, inclusive practices, and opportunities for all faculty, staff, and students while also contributing leading research and programs on social justice.”  Sargent College’s strategic plan pillar “Reimagine the Sargent Landscape” strategy O-4 reads: “Cultivate an inclusive environment that values diversity.”  We plan to collaborate with the College and University Provost’s Office to be successful in achieving these goals:

• Development and provision of program-level ongoing trainings on inclusive pedagogy and antiracism for faculty and staff.
• Addition of supplemental quantitative and qualitative course evaluation questions designed to assess inclusion in health sciences course classroom spaces. Currently, the course evaluation system allows for the creation and addition of questions to gather student feedback about courses beyond that obtained through the “rating” portion of the evaluations. The Department of Health Sciences will position itself as a leader within the university on this initiative. We propose to encourage the adoption of two additional questions to be added to course evaluations beginning fall semester, 2022.
• Addition of discussions during faculty and staff annual evaluations of faculty/staff performance regarding actions faculty and staff have taken to improve diversity and inclusion in programs, classrooms, and the department.
• College-level discussions regarding the communication of the established reporting processes for instances of bias, discrimination and harassment complaints made against BU staff or faculty members (Equal Opportunity Office), or against students (Office of Judicial Affairs) as well as instances of sexual misconduct (Title IX department of the Equal Opportunity Office).

Resources

We have developed a resource list for department members to access for support of self or others who may want/need additional information on diversity, equity, and inclusion. This list is intended for students, faculty, and staff. These resources range from support/mental health services, community forums, trainings on racial identity, information on antiracist pedagogy, and sources for a more inclusive history of health sciences.

We are dedicated to making long-term, sustainable changes and appreciate feedback from our alumni and students. Along with other departments at Sargent College and Boston University, we aim to create a more inclusive profession for both our students and the individuals we serve, including those from marginalized communities and with consideration for race, gender expression, sexual orientation, nationality, neurodiversity, and ability. We are committed to reducing racial disparities in the field and strive to educate our students to be inclusive, antiracist clinicians and colleagues.

Note: This statement was developed as a collaboration between faculty, staff and student members of the Department of Health Sciences. It is intended to be a living document that we will update as our department learns, grows, and adapts to the needs of our students and communities.

Please direct any questions, comments, or resource recommendations to Professor Shelly DeBiasse at debiasse@bu.edu.