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Core Committee for the Support of Underrepresented
Ethnic Groups
Meeting Highlights
December 14, 2005
Present: Patrick Adegboyega, Jose Gonzalez, Raymond Lewis, Freddy
Paniagua, Cecilia Romero, Rebecca Saavedra, Kathy Shingleton, Cindy
Stanton, Melvin Williams, and Miguel Ybarra. Guests: Rudy Guerrero and
Valerie Parisi
1. Approval of November 9, 2005 Minutes
The minutes from the November 9, 2005 committee meeting were
approved.
2. Announcements
Dr. Paniagua informed members that Dr. Stobo was pleased with the
Annual Report Summary that he prepared and submitted and that he will
join the committee at the January 11 meeting and share some comments
with the group. Dr. Paniagua also informed the group about the recent
workshop coordinated from Dr. Linda Phillips’ office and dealing with
the appointment, promotion, and tenure process in the school of
medicine. Dr. Paniagua reported that he suggested during that workshop
to explore differences and similarities in that process across the four
schools and that this Core committee is discussing this issue.
3. Summary of Diversity Initiatives in the School of Medicine – Dr.
Valerie Parisi
Dr. Parisi informed the group that diversity initiatives were a very
important part of the mission of the institution and that she was
pleased to be there. Although Dr. Parisi informed the group that the
School of Medicine (SOM) has a diverse medical student body – the SOM
needs to keep diversity going by retaining students in residency
programs. She believes the SOM needs to create a pipeline from the
student population who upon graduation would commit to a residency
program, then a faculty position, and possibly a leadership position.
Recruiting and retaining faculty has become an important role in the
SOM, which would also include more women leadership in the SOM as
chairs.
For the first time in the history of the School of Medicine, UTMB has
two African-American chairs, Dr. Bernard Godley in Ophthalmology and Dr.
Ronald W. Lindsey in Orthopaedics and Rehab. Using routine channels has
not been good for diversity when soliciting candidates for hire. Dr.
Parisi suggested that the institution brainstorm to figure out how to
change the process for leadership and find more minority candidates. She
sees four issues in achieving this goal. Issue 1 – change the search
process and change the way we look for applicants. Issue 2 – need more
mentoring of junior faculty so we can retain them as leadership. Issue 3
– keep our great students – for residents, then faculty and leadership.
Issue 4 – the SOM needs a serious position to target these issues. Dr.
Parisi is searching for an Associate Dean for Diversity and Faculty
Development which would serve a dual role.
Dr. Parisi also informed the group that Dr. Swischuck is stepping
down as the Chair of Radiology and Dr. Lindsey will lead the search
process for a replacement.
Dr. Parisi also reported that the School of Medicine recently held a
Staff of the School of Medicine meeting. With 3,700 staff in the SOM,
the meeting was very well received and provided the opportunity to
communicate.
In order to recruit and retain the best possible diverse staff, the
SOM needs to create a good action plan, which includes looking at how we
do our residency selection process. In recruiting high quality junior
faculty, diversity is high on the list in identifying adequate applicant
pools. She also expressed a need for more mentors for quality junior
faculty. Currently 25% of all UTMB medical students stay here for
residency.
Dr. Parisi stressed that we need to look more like the population we
serve. She pointed out that the School of Medicine is continuing to talk
about diversity and will elevate the issue. She also informed the group
that she is developing a process with the Chairs which will be modeled
after the President’s Council process and which will include a series of
goals, including NIH funding, participating in the You Count survey and
that salary will be at risk for performing goals and that among key
goals clear evidences in support of the core value of diversity will be
closely monitored particularly among chairs and administrators of
clinical services (e.g., division chiefs).
4. Further Discussion after Dr. Parisi’ Presentation
Dr. Saavedra asked Dr. Parisi if the SOM had a Residency Advisory
Committee where residents could bring concerns and issues they had with
their department or if they were able to have a dialogue with Dr. Parisi
directly. There is apprehension on the part of some residents to express
concerns and/or issues. Dr. Parisi will make a suggestion to Dr.
Blackwell to address these areas. Mr. Ray Lewis suggested inviting Dr.
Blackwell to a committee meeting to begin a discussion of recruiting
ethnic minority faculty from the pool of residents in the school of
medicine. This suggestion was in response to Dr. Parisi’s early
statement regarding the recruitment of ethnic minority residents as
faculty upon their completion of their training program.
Dr. Romero informed the group that the Hispanic population is not
told that they bring something special; the only expressed sentiment was
that we are grateful that they speak Spanish. She believes Hispanics
have an important role to fill and that message needs to be relayed to
students and residents. Dr. Parisi and members of the committee agreed
with this observation.
Regarding the action plan Dr. Parisi mentioned above, Dr. Paniagua
informed that this committee has in its next agenda a discussion
regarding the proposal of a multicultural teaching scholar program in
which the four schools could bring on campus ethnic minority faculty
from other academics to make presentations and/or collaborate with
on-campus faculty and students in clinical and research activities. Dr.
Paniagua suggested that this program would enhance the ability of
departments across all four schools to recruit members from
underrepresented ethnic minority groups. Dr. Parisi reported that she
would be happy to know more about this program and that she is in
support of it.
Meeting adjourned at 1:01 p.m.
Our next meeting is scheduled on Wednesday, January 11, 2006, from
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. in the Ballinger Mills Room.
Recorder: Sheryl Lashway, Office of the President
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