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Office of Diversity

Diversity is critical to the CVM’s academic mission. New perspectives deepen our understanding, strengthen our community and propel our innovation.

Mission Statement

NC State College of Veterinary Medicine strives to be the premier institution for training and preparing future leaders in veterinary medicine and research sciences. We are committed to excellence. Diversity and inclusion are vital to our goal. We recognize that a diverse community generates diverse thought necessary to successfully create relevant and effective solutions to complex challenges. We choose to be a culture that values diversity, inclusion, respect, empathy and equality for all.

Diversity at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine is defined as the active incorporation throughout our college of people from various backgrounds, perspectives, thoughts and beliefs. Diversity is not limited to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or physical ability but rather represents the wide range of visible and invisible differences and similarities that make each of us unique.

Inclusion at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine is defined as the practice of intentionally building a culture that values diversity of people and ideas and embraces the meaningful participation of all.

At NC State, it is our vision that the positive lessons of valuing diversity and inclusion will extend well beyond our college community and have broader far-reaching impacts on the future of the veterinary medicine profession.

Project Safe Ally Program

The Project SAFE Ally program is a three-hour workshop that NC State CVM undergraduates, graduate students, staff, faculty and alumni participate in to understand and address the needs of GLBT students. The CVM contributes over 25 allies to this initiative. The curriculum addresses a wide range of information.

Veterinary Students as One In Culture and Ethnicity: VOICE

The NC State CVM chapter of Veterinary Students as One In Culture and Ethnicity is a student-run organization that addresses a need for sociocultural awareness that is not part of the current core veterinary curriculum. We are an organized and unified student voice contributing to enhancing the diversity of the profession and the cultural competence of veterinary students.

Programs

Cultural Awareness Modules

Between five and eight Cultural Awareness Modules are offered each year on a variety of subjects and in a variety of formats. The goal of the modules is to provide exposure and education to the students, faculty, and staff of NC State’s CVM on multicultural issues, populations, practices and other areas. Topics have included Native Americans, GLBT, Hispanic culture, and the Muslim religion. Formats have included luncheons, panels, speakers, movies and discussion and others.

Basic Race Awareness Seminar

(Designed by Civil Rights Activist C.T. Vivian)

The BASIC (Black Action Strategies & Information Center) Race Awareness Seminar has a long history at NC State. Our university first sponsored this two-day seminar in 1975 and has since graduated over 1,000 participants. Designed and often facilitated by renowned civil rights activist C.T. Vivian, this seminar requires participants to engage in an intense, honest appraisal of their individual and collective racial attitudes. NC State’s CVM has sent 100 students, faculty, and staff to this seminar. Click here for more information.

NCBI

The National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) has conducted programs on hundreds of college and university campuses across North America and the Pacific. They have launched campus affiliate chapters on 60 campuses where faculty, students, and administrators have made an institutional commitment to using NCBI programs as a mechanism to provide an ongoing response to discrimination, oppression and the handling of controversial issues.

An NCBI campus affiliate is made up of a team of students, faculty and staff from various disciplines who provide a powerful leadership resource for the campus. The team provides pro-active workshops to improve the overall campus climate for diversity by building a more inclusive environment and teaches skills in how to effectively shift prejudicial attitudes and be powerful allies for one another. The team is also trained to intervene when tough intergroup conflict arises on the campus or between the campus and the community.

NC State’s CVM has had 100 students, faculty, and staff participate in NCBI trainings and now has 100 NCBI trainers on staff who have completed a three-day train the trainer training session. Click here for more information.

Community Outreach

The students, faculty, and staff of the College of Veterinary Medicine embrace NC State’s mission of community outreach and engagement. CVM representatives are active in the community, the state, the nation, and the world.

Resources

  • CCDI Incident Response Chart
  • NCAMV
    The North Carolina Association of Minority Veterinarians is the association dedicated to promoting diversity and collegiality among its members and to providing a forum to discuss concerns of minority veterinarians in North Carolina.
  • Pride VMC
    Pride VMC is an organization that promotes acceptance and leadership for all people regardless of sexual orientation, occupation, or education. In 2013, it celebrated the 20th anniversary of its founding.  Currently, there are 200 members and another 100 student members.

Faculty & Staff