Dr. LMGreenhill Profile picture
Dec 9, 2020 11 tweets 4 min read Read on X
Recommendations for how colleges should make lasting improvements in faculty diversity (opinion) insidehighered.com/views/2020/12/…
I get a lot of questions about increasing diversity among faculty. Most recently an inquiry stating that we should be shifting focus to faculty.

That's great & all, but where do you think new faculty come from? They come from more diverse student ranks.
We can't shift focus; we must EXPAND focus to look at the entire lifespan of an academic #Veterinarian.

That means: Supporting K-12 student interest, creating pathways that keep URVM students in the pipeline. Successfully admitting & matriculating URVM #vetstudents.
Recruiting a critical mass of URVM students into interships/residencies, & skimming off a critical mass for faculty recruitment, supporting those young faculty, protecting them from the #diversitytax, & mentoring them through the T&P process.
As I say often--these are SYSTEMIC issues that require SYSTEMIC oriented problem-solving. Current URVM student numbers are on the rise, but there just aren't enough to move major numbers in #vetmeded faculty.
More than a decade ago, I told #AAVMC member institutions that we would effectively need every CVM to produce ONE new junior faculty candidate annually to even think about make a dent in the numbers. Back then, that was less than 30 potentially new URVM faculty annually.
Current data suggests that still not happening & the number of CVMs has grown.

The thing about DEI work in education---you have to approach it like we're walking backward, eyes closed, patting our heads and rubbing our bellies. It's complicated.
We have to work on elements of the lifespan all the time, all at the same time. Each step has its own hurdles & barriers.

It's DOABLE, but requires a deep commitment to the work and resources to get it done. Is it hard?

Yeah, it's hard, so what?
But it is doable.

There has to be a will & commitment that isn't just sustained because Black & brown folks are murdered in extrajudicial killings on video.

Interest & commitment must transcend "the hot moment."
Folks been waiting for 400+ years for action & while we appreciate the recent awakening--what we're looking for is long term commitment to justice in recruitment & retention over the lifespan. /fin

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More from @lm_greenhill

Apr 26, 2023
Oh, so much scuttle on DEI content at veterinary schools & its relevance to practice. I love how folks think that critters have their own amex, make their own appts, drive themselves to the clinic & pay for their treatment. 🙄
Veterinarians provide care to animals in consultation with owners/caregivers who provide daily care to their pets. Intercultural communication skills are essential to reducing conflict, ensuring informed decision-making & medical compliance.
Reminding students & trainees that there's a whole human at the end of the leash or on the other side of the fence who is key. Having exposure to different kinds cultural nuances improves quality of care & fosters great trust between the clinician & the client.
Read 9 tweets
Jun 13, 2022
Soo, the Idaho white supremacists...
I can't tell you the # times I've been invited to #VetMed things in Coeur d'Alene.

I always say no. Never been, no plans to go. I hear they are both gorgeous. I also hear that they are unsafe for folks like me.
Black woman, mom to a queer person. Nope not going to Idaho, tho I'm sure there are also lovely people there. A former dean discouraged stopping anywhere when I had to drive thru one time; that spoke volumes!

It's the no for me.
So then I wondered, why is there such a connection to this place (& a few others) in #VetMed?

Who made those decision & how long ago? Who's reviewing them now?
Read 6 tweets
Jan 17, 2022
As you get to posting all the tributes to #MLK be sure to include the quotes that make us think & question the heavy reliance on the sanitation of his message that is used to make him more palatable in a white supremacist society.
This man was not nationally beloved at the time of his assassination. He was stalked by the state, blamed for Black & Brown folk not knowing our place, & seen as a national threat.
But every year, we come to this day & timelines burst w/ ahistorical references to a colorblind society & calls for acts of service. Nay to the colorblind stuff & as for the acts of service, cool cool, but this man fought for equality - social, political, & economic equality.
Read 11 tweets
Jul 28, 2021
Ok, #VetMedEd...I want to talk about flipping mental frameworks for a minute.

As groups are developing recommendations for DEI in vet school, please spend some time thinking about the framework you're starting from.
I'm seeing a lot of, "We need to *teach/prep* BIPOC & marginalized identities to survive here, etc."

BAD TAKE. If I need to learn how to survive here, that is a a bad environment for everyone. Stop thinking that the CVM/Org doesn't need to change when it does.
In fact, I'll go so far as to say this framework is offensive.

It puts *all* responsibility for change on the marginalized. It's basically an announcement that you expect marginalized folks to assimilate. #hardpass
Read 12 tweets
Apr 7, 2021
I'm so glad that so many veterinary orgs are working on DEI initiatives. That said, I want to give some advice for folx looking for referrals for help.
Be ready to COMPENSATE DEI folx.

DEI *professionals* are skilled ppl w/ degrees, credentials, research portfolios, & packed schedules. Create a budget larger than a fruit basket. Pay folx for their skills & labor. Don't expect free labor!
Be ready to WORK!

DEI professionals are in high demand these days. When I reach out about a possible referral, my colleagues ask abt the org's commitment. Performative work ain't it. They WILL SAY NO to those 'opportunities.'
Read 6 tweets
Feb 23, 2021
So, about the @VINNewsService profile...

I've demurred invites to do a profile for many years. Despite being so visible in the veterinary profession, I've eschewed much personal attention. I focus on the work & let that speak for me & for the DEI progress that's been made.
The reality is that there are soooo very many folks who have been along for this ride (which at times has been bumpy, to say the least). Deans, Associate Deans, staff, students (who honestly have done so much heavy lifting all while studying) interdisciplinary colleagues...
There are just too many to list, but know that I'm eternally grateful for your mentorship, your friendship, your collegiality, your teaching, your support, your shared venting & frustration that things haven't changed more radically or more quickly.
Read 7 tweets

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