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Diversity and Inclusion

The KU School of Nursing is committed to fostering an inclusive learning and work environment where each person feels valued and are empowered to thrive.

The University of Kansas School of Nursing is committed to creating a more representative, equitable and inclusive learning and working environment. We strive for an environment that nurtures the growth and development of our students, faculty, staff and patients.

The University of Kansas Medical Center defines diversity as a state of being in which the variety of cultures, experiences, expertise and viewpoints are valued and incorporated into the fabric of our community. Diversity encompasses age, education level, ethnicity and race, gender expression and identity, nationality, national origin, physical and mental ability, political and religious perspectives, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, veteran status and other human differences.

In 2020, acts of violence committed against the Black community and the Black Lives Matter movement prompted the KU School of Nursing to examine our beliefs and create a KU School of Nursing Position Statement on Systemic Racism. The statement also includes action plans to combat institutional racism and create a more inclusive learning environment.

Position Statement on Systemic Racism and Plan of Action

We will not tolerate white supremacy and institutional racism. We will not tolerate the oppression of any of our students, staff and faculty based on race or ethnicity. The following reflects the KU School of Nursing Position Statement on Systemic Racism, but it goes beyond being a mere statement. It is a plan for action.

We will:

  1. Create a culture of psychological safety.
  2. Mandate ongoing training for faculty and staff on unconscious bias and its effect on health and community.
  3. Mandate training for faculty, staff and students on the process of reporting racism.
  4. Mandate ongoing training for faculty and staff on systemic racism and its effect on health and community.
  5. Mandate ongoing training for all students on Implicit Bias and its effect on health and community.
  6. Identify opportunities to engage students in the concepts of equity and social justice and systemic racism across our educational programs.
  7. Identify strategies and resources needed to ensure fair and consistent grading of student work.
  8. Continue to develop admissions programs and processes that improve and support students who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPoC).
  9. Evaluate teaching and learning environments to ensure they are welcoming and inclusive.
  10. Work to expand funded and unfunded research across our school that focuses on equity and racism.
  11. Train our faculty and staff on Safe Zone to support the BIPoC lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersecting identities.
  12. Identify and support BIPoC business when hiring vendors for KU School of Nursing events and activities.
  13. Continue to build partnerships with community organizations that support BIPoC and intersecting identities to promote a diverse nursing workforce.
  14. Support KU Medical Center’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Cabinet’s strategic plan that includes mandatory training, recruiting diverse faculty and partnering with stakeholders to address health inequities.

Racism and discrimination have no place at the KU School of Nursing — not in our curriculum, not in our research, not in our practice and not among our faculty and staff. We commit to being an anti-racist school of nursing.

To learn more about KU Medical Center's commitment to diversity, please visit the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion website.

KU School of Nursing

KU School of Nursing
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Mail Stop 2029
Kansas City, KS 66160
913-588-1619 | TTY 711
soninfo@kumc.edu