Cultural Enhancement and Diversity

Through its Office of Cultural Enhancement and Diversity, the KU School of Medicine commits to an educational and professional environment that fosters the vigorous exchange of ideas without fear, prejudice or persecution. The office promotes diversity, cultural competency and excellence in teaching, patient care and services. It promotes research that will eliminate the existing disparities in health status, and it prepares students for leadership roles.

A diverse student body is essential to an academic environment that promotes the growth of well-rounded physicians and strives to improve the delivery of effective health care to under-served populations. The Office of Cultural Enhancement and Diversity accepts the charge to teach and learn about the variety of represented backgrounds, to maintain the highest degree of professionalism and to embrace opportunities to share all beliefs and values.

The Office of Cultural Enhancement and Diversity:

• Supports and administers federally and locally supported programs designed to recruit diverse students.
• Develops and supports cultural and linguistic competency curricula.
• Supports and collaborates with campus wide diversity activities, programs, training and education.
• Promotes disparities research.
• Directs student-focused diversity activities, including academic enrichment and retention programs and mentoring, counseling and professional development sessions.
• Directs faculty-focused diversity activities, including minority faculty recruitment and retention and professionalism and diversity training.
• Directs community-focused diversity activities, including the Nicodemus Project, Latino Educational Initiatives, Multicultural Information Resource Center and K-12 school-based activities and field trips.