To support the mission, vision and core values of The Ohio State University College of Nursing (CON), leadership, faculty and staff will ensure that diversity, equity and inclusion are embedded in the DNA of the CON and represented appropriately in all that we do to ensure an equitable, welcoming environment for all.
Mission
To be the world’s leader in inspiring solutions to address health and education disparities and inequities across the lifespan.
Vision
We remove barriers and improve lives through our sustained and authentic efforts to promote and support diversity, equity and inclusion for all.
The College of Nursing defines diversity as the variety of differences and similarities/dimensions among people, which can include gender, race/ethnicity, tribal/indigenous origins, age, culture, generation, religion, class/caste, language, education, geography, nationality, different abilities, sexual orientation, work style, work experience, job role and function, military involvement, thinking style, personality type and other ideologies.
The changing population demographics and the realities of a multigenerational, multicultural workforce requires that diversity and inclusion be in the forefront of what we do. Demographic trends predict the continuation of movement toward a more racially and ethnically diverse U.S. population beyond the year 2030 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 2015). Diversity and inclusion cultivates understanding, mutual respect and innovation, and our workforce must be reflective of the patients and families for whom we deliver care. Each of us are responsible and accountable for leading needed change. In line with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the core facets of our work are to “improve the quality of education, address pervasive inequities in health care and enhance the civic readiness and engagement potential of our nursing students.” (AACN, 2017). Ensuring that we welcome a diverse population of students, faculty, staff and friends to our college requires moving beyond simple tolerance to fully respecting and embracing differences in a safe, positive and nurturing environment. In the pursuit of equity, The College of Nursing promotes fairness and distribution of supportive processes to create equal outcomes among diverse populations. Inclusion, as a vital part of authentic diversity, ensures the full extension of decision-making participation to diverse members of the college. The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is therefore committed to the recruitment, retention and creation of a learning community that equips students, faculty and staff to function in an authentically diverse and inclusive environment.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee
The Ohio State University College of Nursing’s DEI Committee is comprised of faculty, staff and students who meet monthly to develop opportunities that enrich the cultural experiences of students, faculty and staff to create an environment that values and affirms diversity, equity and inclusion. Faculty, staff and students are elected to the DEI committee and the faculty chair of the DEI committee is appointed by the Dean. The call for student members will be announced in The Beat in the spring when there is a vacancy. The Diversity Committee will vote on the nominees. Each member of this committee serves a three-year term.
Campus Resources
The Ohio State University College of Nursing Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: https://nursing.osu.edu/offices-and-initiatives/diversity-equity-and-inclusion
The Ohio State University Office of Diversity and Inclusion: https://odi.osu.edu
The Ohio State University Diversity Initiatives: https://www.osu.edu/initiatives/diversity.html
The Ohio State University Office of Institutional Equity: https://equity.osu.edu/