Hello, I'm Mario Ortiz, dean of Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Binghamton
University in Binghamton, N.Y.
As nursing educators, I believe we must use a two-pronged approach to help put an
end to systemic racism and foster equitable change.
First, we have to address institutional-level change. To create equity-based structures
in our colleges, we need to examine our existing systems of teaching, research and
service to identify all potential inequities. We must structure our colleges to address
the inequitable distribution of opportunities to students.
As educators, we also have to identify the impact that racism has on our students'
behaviors and then use innovative strategies to reach all of our students. Further,
we must identify how race and ethnicity can
impact factors that we haven't considered.
We need to have inclusive processes to ensure that people from diverse backgrounds
are given a voice.
The second part of the approach requires change on an individual or personal level.
Becoming anti-racist is fighting against racism. It means that individuals need to
question their own behaviors or actions that may support racism in conscious and unconscious
ways. We have to identify implicit biases
we may hold and work to overcome them; it is possible to unlearn these biases.
One of the ways Decker College is working to foster an inclusive environment is by
establishing our own Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, which works in concert
with the University's Division of DEI.
This summer, just after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, Decker's director
of DEI, Sharon Bryant, launched a holding space initiative, a virtual space where
students from across the University could connect with her and others to share their
feelings and be heard.
Decker faculty designed their courses not only for an online environment but also
to incorporate inclusive pedagogy strategies that ensure learning is meaningful, relevant
and accessible for all students. Faculty continue to participate in inclusive pedagogy
workshops, learning strategies to incorporate our students' individual differences
into courses. This creates a richer learning environment for everyone.
And one final example is our Innovative Simulation and Practice Center, where we strive
to create a learning environment that represents the diverse society. our nurses will
be caring for.
Thank you.