Kansas City University (KCU) is among 63 prestigious higher education institutions to receive the 2023 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
Diversity is firmly embedded into KCU’s strategic plan, which establishes diligent measures to recruit a diverse student body as well as initiatives focused on improving retention and graduation rates for historically underrepresented and first-generation students. KCU recently established multicultural centers on each campus to enhance a sense of belonging on campus for all students. While the center is open to all students, its primary purpose is to serve as a hub for cross-cultural communication and exchange aimed at breaking down cultural barriers and promoting understanding and respect among all members of our campus community.
KCU’s curriculum incorporates comprehensive diversity topics with courses focused on social determinates of health as well as large- and small-group learning activities addressing health equity, racism and its impact on health, and living with HIV/AIDS. To achieve a vibrant learning and working environment that embraces diversity, KCU developed campus-wide initiatives including implicit bias training for all members of the University community to become adept at working in a diverse and inclusive environment.
“Receiving the Health Professions HEED Award is a testament to our unwavering dedication to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment at Kansas City University,” said Kenneth Durgans, EdD, KCU associate provost of diversity and inclusion. “This acknowledgment motivates us to continue striving for excellence in promoting diversity across all facets of our institution.”
As a recipient of the annual Health Professions HEED Award, a national honor recognizing health colleges and universities in the United States that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion, KCU will be featured in the November/December 2023 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
“The Health Professions HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees — and best practices for both — continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a Health Professions HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for schools where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.”
For more information about the 2023 INSIGHT Into Diversity Health Professions HEED Award, click here.
About Kansas City University
Kansas City University, founded in 1916, is a fully accredited, private not-for-profit health sciences university with Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Biosciences and a developing College of Dental Medicine. The College of Osteopathic Medicine is the eighth largest medical school in the U.S., the ninth most impactful medical school for primary care for the nation, the tenth most affordable of private medical colleges, and the leading producer of physicians for the State of Missouri. The College of Osteopathic Medicine has two sites strategically located on the University’s campuses in Kansas City and Joplin, Missouri, to address the growing needs of both urban and rural populations. The University offers multiple graduate degrees; a doctor of osteopathic medicine; a doctor of psychology in clinical psychology; a master of arts in bioethics; a master of science in the biomedical sciences; a master of business administration in partnership with Rockhurst University; a new master of public health in partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center; and plans to seat the first doctor of dental medicine students in 2023.
Reference:
Haley Reardon, Manager of Marketing and Communications
Kansas City University
417.208.0664
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