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University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary School

Mailing Address
501 D.W. Brooks Drive
Athens, Georgia 30602
Phone
(706) 542-3000
Email address
dvmadmit@uga.edu
School Information
"We are Georgia’s only College of Veterinary Medicine, proud to serve our state and the nation for nearly 75 years by educating the next generation of veterinarians, providing exceptional veterinary care to our clients, and tackling the most pressing animal and human health challenges. Everyone can find their path here. We are proud to tout modern facilities, incredible faculty, and a depth and breadth of patients and specialties that can deliver the exposure and experience students of all types need. And we take pride in the strength of our community – striving for diversity and inclusivity through our CVM Principles of Community and with a constant eye to our College mission, vision, and values." (Source: https://vet.uga.edu/about-us/)

Actions Taken

Disciplinary Measures
  • The school's Office of Diversity and Inclusion published a "Report Incidents Anonymously" page which states, "The UGA College of Veterinary Medicine is a community where diversity and inclusion are valued. If you've experienced or witnessed an event at the college that you feel violates our stand on diversity and inclusion, you are encouraged to report it below."
Faculty/Staff Requirements
  • The school's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion reported on its faculty training programming for 2021-2022. The Office's then-Interim Assistant Dean stated, "The Pathways Program trained over 70 faculty and staff with courses needed for the Certificate of Diversity. There were five course sessions offered: the required course (offered twice) and three elective courses."
Resources
  • On September 8, 2020, the school announced the establishment of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The new Office would "lead strategic initiatives for the entire College of Veterinary Medicine, including faculty and staff development and education on diversity, student programming and recruitment initiatives, and generally building a culture of multiculturalism within all parts of the College." It would be "housed within the CVM Office of Research and Graduate and Faculty Affairs and work in coordination with the Office of Academic Affairs and the Office of the Dean."
  • The school's News section published an article titled, "CVM Alums Form Organizations for Cultural Change," which discusses the need to diversify the veterinary profession. One of the school's alumni's, Dr. Serena Nayee, founded "Chapter VIII: Veterinary Inclusion and Intersectionality Initiative," which promotes "diversity in veterinary medicine with a special focus on intersectionality." According to the article, intersectionality "describes the overlap and interaction of a person’s various social and political identities and how they create privilege and discrimination." 
  • The school's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion reported on its past events of 2021-2022, including an event hosted by the organization "VOICE (Veterinary Students as One In Culture and Ethnicity)." VOICE hosted the second series of "Anti-Racism 201," which focused on Asian Americans. Speakers discussed how "pandemics have been racialized."
  • The school's Interim Assistant Dean for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Dr. Susan Williams, is listed as a member of the "Council of Academic Diversity Officers." The council is run by UGA's "Institutional Diversity Office" and meet up to three times per semester to discuss "diversity issues." These issues may include: "recruitment, hiring and retention of faculty, graduate students and staff; diversity initiatives at the college level; interdisciplinary programming and support of diversity, equity and inclusion; and other issues that impact diversity issues in the schools and colleges."
  • In the September 23, 2020 issue of "The Red & Black," UGA's College of Veterinary Medicine Professor of Pathology Paige Carmichael is interviewed about her experiences as a black woman in academia. The article reports that as the first African American in her department at UGA, Carmichael experienced "microaggressions (even when she didn’t know the term for subtle discrimination against people in marginalized groups) and learned to code switch. People of color code switch when aspects of their culture or language are viewed as unprofessional or inappropriate." (Carmichael also served on the UGA Diversity Advisory Council from 2016-2017.)
  • As part of the MCVMA (Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association) 2020 Annual Report, University of Georgia is listed (Pg.10) as a supporter of "#WAKEUPVETMED," which aims to address systemic racism in veterinary medicine. In addition, MCVMA released a "clear statement in support of Black Lives Matter, condemning all forms of systemic oppressions of Black people."
  • In 2018, the school published its "Diversity and Inclusion Plan 2018-2023" which describes its many goals and objectives. Goal number three states, "Develop a Diversity and Inclusion Certificate program for faculty, staff and students as a way for them to demonstrate their commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion within the college, the veterinary profession, and the communities we serve."
  • Sharron Quisenberry, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine is listed (Pg. 25) as part of the "Liaison Group" for UGA's "Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Plan." The introduction of the plan states, "Society has been engaged in deep conversation and often painful discussion in regard to diversity and inclusion. These conversations have focused on fundamental questions of equity, justice, and community."
  • The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is a "transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance." This report lists members of UGA's Diversity Advisory Council from 2016-2017, which includes Dr. Paige Carmichael, a Professor at the Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.
Symbolic Actions
  • The school's Department of Pathology issued a "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement" which states, "The UGA Department of Pathology is against racism and bias, individual or systemic. We stand in solidarity and support of our underrepresented communities in affirming the inherent worth and value of every person."
Last updated November 16th, 2023
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