The Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) requires professors to show a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in order to be considered for promotions or tenure, according to a document obtained by the medical watchdog group “Do No Harm” through a Freedom of Information Request (FOIA).
The document, titled “Example Faculty Activities Toward Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” includes a list of activities faculty can demonstrate during performance reviews to show their commitment to advancing DEI at the school, according to a report from The Daily Caller.
Read the full document:
Do No Harm referred to the list as “compelled behavior” and claimed that “it is a thoroughly politicized and ideological creation, betraying IUSM’s complete commitment to race-based medicine.” The group added that “it conveys a clear expectation that faculty hold that same commitment and prove it through their actions.”
The document advises faculty to incorporate DEI into their classroom by using “inclusive teaching practices,” which include using “global perspectives” and teaching courses in multiculturalism. It also instructs faculty to teach “courses, modules and/or workshops designed for historically marginalized students and trainees” and to promote grants and fellowships that serve such communities.
Faculty can also demonstrate their commitment to DEI through their research, by conducting grants or projects that study healthcare in “historically marginalized” communities and by building diverse teams or partnering with faculty at Minority Serving Institutions. The document also advises faculty to convey any awards or recognitions they received for DEI-related research.
In addition, the document suggests that faculty can show their commitment to DEI by serving as mentors for “underrepresented” and “international” students and faculty, and by promoting DEI in the community through activities such as “chairing or serving on a Community board linked to the advancement of DEI,” targeting community outreach to marginalized communities, and engaging in “activities and consulting work (paid or unpaid) related to DEI community activities and organizations.”
The document also encourages faculty to “increase one’s self-awareness and knowledge” about issues such as microaggressions and biases through workshops and reading groups, to peer review journals focused on DEI and “inclusive pedagogies,” and to attend lectures discussing “health inequities and/or care for underserved or marginalized communities.”
Do No Harm argued that “IUSM is indicating that current and prospective faculty need to hold not just specific political views, but translate those views into concrete action. This is a violation of medical educators’ rights. Here’s hoping a faculty member sues IUSM – or the Indiana state government intervenes. IUSM shouldn’t be allowed to force faculty to engage in political activities.”
