Diversity statement
Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences strives to foster an inclusive community that embraces diversity and values all perspectives and contributions. The college adheres to and supports the Inclusive Campus strategic priority of Binghamton University’s Road Map plan.
A message from Sharon Bryant, associate dean of DEI at Decker College
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Transcript of this video message
At the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, my role includes advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in our culture, environment, programs and policies. I work in collaboration with students, faculty and staff to create a culture of belonging.
We want to foster an atmosphere where our differences and our commonalities unite to create limitless possibilities.
I look forward to partnering with all of you as we strive to achieve the vision and practice of inclusive excellence.
Dean Mario R. Ortiz speaks out against racism
Decker College Dean Mario R. Ortiz took part in an American Association of Colleges of Nursing video in November 2020, discussing what academic nursing needs to do to address racism and advance equitable change.
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Transcript of this video message
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.
If you have a DEI-related concern
If you have a DEI-related concern or have experienced/witnessed an act of hate, bias, discrimination or harassment at Decker College:
- Contact Sharon Bryant, associate dean of diversity, equity and inclusion at Decker College, at sbryant@binghamton.edu.
- If you don’t feel comfortable discussing the issue with Decker College, contact Binghamton University’s affirmative action officer at 607-777-4775 or submit a Bias Incident Report.
