UC Davis Veterinary Medicine

As of August 23, 2020, the school's Office of Diversity and Inclusion created a "Strategic Investments" plan that stated the following ongoing investments related to admissions recruitment: "1. Ongoing Investment: SVM raised funds for scholarships that make UC Davis the best value in veterinary medicine and created specific recruitment scholarships for URM students to enhance our diversity goals. Based on the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC), the number of racially or ethnically underrepresented students currently stands at ~20% of total enrollment. That figure continues to grow and has increased 134% since the 2005 launch of the AAVMC DiVersity Matters initiative. Based on AAVMC defined criteria, UC Davis’ ranks among the top 3 schools or colleges in the most diverse veterinary student populations in the United States (40% non-white student population). 2. Ongoing Investment: SVM offers an annual Summer Enrichment Program to help disadvantaged students enhance their preparation for veterinary school, with clinical experiences in the teaching hospital, GRE study resources, and exposure to DVM career options. 3. Ongoing Investment: SVM participates in the annual SMASH Academy (Summer Math and Science Honors), offering veterinary educational sessions as part of this 5-week residential program for high-achieving, under-represented minority (URM) high school students. 4. Ongoing Investment: SVM conducts student outreach in high-concentration Latino populations in the Central Valley from its Tulare facility. 5. Ongoing Investment: SVM hosts Vet-for-a-Day, an outreach effort to Davis High School students (many URMs or first gen students) interested in veterinary medicine."

In 2019, in a document entitled, "Actions to Promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice," the school referenced several policies leading to admissions of underrepresented minorities, including the following actions, among others: "Successfully raised funds for scholarships that make UC Davis more affordable – created specific recruitment scholarships for URM students to enhance our diversity goals," "Summer Enrichment Program — Prepared disadvantaged students with clinical experiences in the teaching hospital, GRE study resources, and DVM career options," "SMASH Academy (Summer Math and Science Honors) —The school offers veterinary educational sessions as part of this 5-week residential program for high-achieving, URM high school students aims to engender excitement and some understanding in STEM fields that hopefully one day will lead them to UCD and then hopefully our SVM," and "Student outreach to high-concentration Latino populations in the Central Valley from the Tulare facility (facility tours and travel to events)."

As of August 23, 2020, the school's Office of Diversity and Inclusion created a "Strategic Investments" plan for students and faculty. This comprehensive plan outlines it's objectives in improving diversity in the veterinary field and combating bias with specific initiatives. For students, the school "incorporated Principles of Community and cultural sensitivity training into VET400 curriculum for all professional veterinary students," and "incorporated Principles of Community and cultural sensitivity training into VET400 curriculum for all professional veterinary students."

In 2020, the school's Office of Diversity and Inclusion introduced "implicit bias training" to the UC Davis Veterinary School through its week long course entitled "Prologue" which begins the first day of veterinary school. "Beginning in 2020, Prologue now includes introductory implicit bias and cultural humility training. Prologue Mentors provided a brief presentation to introduce the concept of implicit bias, and students were asked to do a couple of the implicit bias association tests through Project Implicit in preparation. Students were also introduced to the prominence of implicit bias in clinical settings."

In a 2019 document entitled, "Actions to Promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice," the school noted that "Beginning the first day of veterinary school, entering students participate in the week-long introductory course we refer to as 'Prologue.' On the very first day, students are welcomed to the school’s diverse community of learners and hear about our commitment to supporting an environment that supports diversity and inclusion. From the beginning of school, the diversity and inclusion message are taught to engage students in the richness of our diversity and to set the tone for the inclusive and welcoming environment for which we strive."

As of December 1, 2022, the school removed the GRE requirement (Graduate Record Examination) for Department of Veterinary Medicine student admissions "following a national trend across the 32 accredited veterinary schools in the United States." UC Davis "joins the majority of accredited U.S. veterinary schools in making this shift after studies showed systemic bias in the GRE." The removal took place to reflect the school's "commitment to increasing diversity and decreasing inequities among applicants to our DVM program."

The school's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion includes a "Report Hate and Bias" link under "Additional Resources."

As of August 23, 2020, the school's Office of Diversity and Inclusion created a "Strategic Investments" plan for students and faculty. This comprehensive list outlines its objectives in improving diversity in the veterinary field and combating bias with specific initiatives. For faculty, the goal is to "participate in STEAD training (Strength Through Equity and Diversity), which trains faculty search committee members on best practices to reduce bias and achieve excellence, diversity, and equity in faculty recruitment." The document notes that "Between 2017-2020, ~40 SVM staff and faculty completed an online Diversity Training Certificate Program through an NIH Grant in partnership with Purdue University" and that the school "incorporated Principles of Community and cultural sensitivity training into VET400 curriculum for all professional veterinary students."

The school announced a comprehensive list of diversity trainings (required/offered) including, "STEAD training (Strength Through Equity and Diversity) which trains faculty search committee members on best practices to reduce bias and achieve excellence, diversity, and equity in faculty recruitment" and "Incorporated Principles of Community and cultural sensitivity training into VET400 curriculum." Also, "All faculty members serving on search committees are required to take training sessions on unconscious bias and diversity goals for the university."

The school's One Health Institute introduced a comprehensive list of actions it's taking to fight systemic racism and bias in the Veterinary field, stating, "100% of the OHI Leadership Team will be participating in racial justice, diversity, equity & inclusion training." OHI also stated that "we have completed the campus Needs Assessment for Diversity & Inclusion Education focused on systemic racism for the OHI and have requested an institute-wide workshop." OHI would also commit to "an external audit of our communications for unconscious bias" and "organize a facilitated reflection on unconscious bias to be held in our workplace."

The school's One Health Institute announced its 2021/2022 grant recipient in its DEI Competitive Grants Program: "Try Harder, Be Better: An Anti-Oppression Program for One Health Professionals." This grant recipient program would employ "a daring mode of engagement that combines interactive workshops with high-level conversations centering and uplifting Black, Indigenous, and People Of Color (BIPOC) voices who are leading the charge of making intersectional global health theories standard practice. Drawing from established experiential learning frameworks, this pilot will help create a workplace that can identify, name, challenge, and ultimately transform the structures that keep white supremacy and discrimination fixed in our institutions at home and abroad."

The school's One Health Institute announced its 2022-2023 grant recipient entitled, "Striving for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through One Health Fellowships," with a stated goal to "inform on barriers and opportunities for underrepresented groups in the veterinary sciences and provide insight for a proposal seeking additional funding to expand this pilot program."

The school's One Health Institute announced its 2021 grant recipient entitled, "Expanding Perspectives: New Dialogues to Address Systemic Inequities Through One Health Education." The grant recipients stated, "We envision the topics of diversity, equity, inclusion, disparities, and community engagement will be woven into the permanent fabric of the RxOH curriculum, so that One Health practitioners around the world are aware of issues such as systemic racism and the social determinants of health and have resources and tools as part of their professional tool kit to address them."

The school's One Health Institute released its Competitive Grant Guidelines for 2022-2023 and describes its mission in part by stating, "Systemic racism is a public health crisis of pandemic proportion, rooted in centuries of injustices and affecting all elements of the social determinants of health, resulting in racial health inequities. Addressing these challenges will take committed, long-term action from across society." The institute goes on to say, "Our competitive grants program will fund up to four $5,000-$10,000 pilot projects that support incorporation of DEI in One Health activities, as well as pilots that propose the use of the One Health approach to address structural racism and reduce biases and inequities at whatever level the submitters might propose."

The school published a link to AAVMC's (American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges) initiatives on discrimination and diversity in the veterinary profession entitled "Black Lives Matter in Veterinary Medicine."

In August of 2020, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion created a "Community Council," which is comprised of faculty, staff and students. The Council's stated goal is to "promote the Principles of Community, improve human welfare, and enhance diversity and inclusion."

On March 14, 2021, the online publication "The Davis Vanguard" published an article entitled, "Open Letter: Anti-Racist Scholars Support Ethnic Studies at State and Local Levels," and was signed by UC Davis veterinary school Associate Professor Titus Brown. The article states that "Ethnic Studies Courses, with their anti-racist curriculum and their critical and intersectional approaches, have been shown to be effective at teaching students about systems of power and oppression, an important topic that extends beyond issues of racism and impacts all aspects of our lives."

On June 18, 2020, the school's Koret Shelter Medicine Program introduced several webinars on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in animal welfare including "Working toward anti-racism in your organization - a discussion" and "Why Access to Pet Resources is a Social Justice Issue."

The school's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page links to "Additional Resources" on topics of diversity and race including: "Report Hate and Bias," "UC Davis Diversity, Equity and Inclusion e-newsletter," "Faculty: Teach Inclusively Teaching Resources," "Managers and Supervisors: Discussing Race," "Professional Development: Diversity Courses," "Find Funding to Promote Diversity and Inclusion," and "AVMA: Diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine.

On March 11, 2022, the school published a link to an article written by its veterinary students entitled, "Encouraging Diversity and Sustainability in Veterinary Medicine Will Serve Society and Make Your Practice More Attractive to New Graduates," and is featured on the American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA) website.

The school's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion released a statement on diversity and racial discrimination committing to "broaden the diversity of our faculty, staff and students to represent the demographics of our society; address racial discrimination and promote social justice; and foster a positive, inclusive climate."

The school's One Health Institute posted a statement in support of Black Lives Matter and stated, "The One Health Institute unequivocally stands with the Black Lives Matter movement and denounces the ongoing and systemic violence against all people of color including the most recent attacks on AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders)."

In 2019, the school stated in a document entitled, "Actions to Promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice," that "we affirm our support for Black lives, acknowledge racism and connect with a shared commitment to address it. We must educate ourselves to racial injustice, social inequities, and systematic barriers that prevent opportunities and suppress the very communities we wish to welcome into our profession."

On May 31, 2020, the school's Dean made a statement on the school's commitment to community and social justice and stated, "The pandemic and its disproportionate effects on communities of color dramatically illustrate the failures of our healthcare and social justice systems in the United States and around the world. Recent reports of injustice and violence toward citizens of color—including the killing of George Floyd by someone whose very job it was to protect him—elicit feelings of disgust, fear, anxiety, and grief, especially in the context of the persistent history of racism in our country. We have been here before."