Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Welcome from the Assistant Dean

Welcome to the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) at the University of Kentucky’s College of Nursing! There are so many exciting new changes happening at the College including the restructuring of our ODEI. We are working on expanding on existing programs and building new programs to support inclusive excellence and innovative strategic initiatives to advance diversity and equity.  

While all our students, faculty and staff engage in efforts to enhance DEI initiatives, we have a dedicated group of active members in our Equity, Outreach and Social Justice (EOSJ) council who serve as advocates, allies and resources to our college, university, and community.

Please stay abreast of our programming efforts via our website and feel free to reach out to myself or any of our EOSJ council members if you would like to learn more. 

Mission 

The University of Kentucky College of Nursing embraces diversity and inclusion as core values that support our goal of providing an intellectually stimulating environment where a variety of ideas and perspectives work together to foster innovation.

Equity, Outreach & Social Justice Council

The Equity Outreach and Social Justice Council (EOSJC) is comprised of students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, and community members, including nurses and non-nurses to help us holistically address DEI at the UK College of Nursing. 

The purpose of the council is to: 

• Provide advice and counsel to the dean on issues related to diversity and inclusivity.
• Facilitate, promote, and maintain a culture of belonging and acceptance.
• Serve as an advocacy network and as ambassadors for the College of Nursing.
• Serve as visible health equity and justice advocates, allies, and resources for the College and the community.
• Promote and engage the College's community in council activities.

Learn more and meet the Council members.        

University's DEI Resources:

• UK's Office for Institutional Diversity (OID) empowers all to be their best selves and strives to create a sustainable climate where all can benefit from the highest quality education, care and work environment. OID's mission is to enhance the diversity and inclusivity of our university community through the recruitment and retention of an increasingly diverse population of faculty, administrators, staff and students, and by implementing initiatives that provide rich diversity-related experiences for all to help ensure their success in an interconnected world.
   
• Bias Incident Support Services (BISS) provides support and advocacy for any student, staff, or faculty member impacted by bias, hatred, and/or an act of identity-based violence.  BISS also provides education, training and consultation services to any University entity interested in working to nurture a sense of belonging within their college, division, office, department, etc.
   
• Center for Graduate and Professional Diversity Initiatives: focuses on recruiting diverse graduate and professional students in UK's six health colleges and retaining diverse graduate and professional students in all nineteen colleges, contributing to an inclusive campus environment where all students can fully engage and succeed. 
   
• First Generation Student Services: supports first-generation students at the University of Kentucky from recruitment to graduation through research-based programs, resources, best practices and campus-wide advocacy about the needs of students who are the first in their families to go to college.
   
• LGBTQ Resource Center: aims to promote student leadership and collaboration through advising and supporting all student groups that have a core focus on gender and/or sexuality. 
   
• Martin Luther King Center: seeks to empower University of Kentucky students across identities to improve their college experience by promoting access to academic, civic leadership, and cultural exchange opportunities rooted in Dr. King's philosophy. Organizations include:

               My Brother’s Keeper
               Sister Circle
               Latinx/Hispanic Wildcats
               Undocumented/DACAmented Wildcats
               Interfaith Initiative                

• UK International Center: offers supports and services to advance international partnerships and research, education abroad and exchange opportunities, and international students and scholars services.
   
• UK Women’s Forum: aims to create an equitable community at UK. As the role of women in the workplace continues to evolve, our commitment remains the same: creating space to discuss relevant issues and using collective problem solving and educational opportunities to empower and champion women.