Events & Resources
UIC Nursing's official statement on equity and inclusion Heading link
The UIC College of Nursing wants to make clear: There is no room for racism in our institution; in our profession; in healthcare; in our country, our neighborhoods, schools or workplaces; nor in any dimension of society. The College of Nursing is committed to condemning racism in all its forms and supporting education, policies and practices that advocate for equity and social justice for all people.
As nurses, we know that structural racism is a social determinant of health with devastating consequences for individuals and communities impacted by it. Many social groups and communities experience structural barriers to the realization of their full human potential and these barriers must be removed. In addition to structural racism, anti-Black racism must be confronted and eliminated. For the past 400 years, Black people have been subjected to pervasive violations of their human rights. After the elimination of slavery, Black people in this country have continued to experience human rights violations in the form of discrimination, segregation, social and economic marginalization, and state sponsored violence in the form of police brutality. The UIC College of Nursing stands in solidarity with the efforts of Black Lives Matter to eliminate structural and anti-Black racism and to create a more just and equal society for all.
The UIC College of Nursing is committed to equity; inclusivity; increasing the diversity of our faculty, staff and student body; and incorporating teaching, practice and scholarship focused on the moral and ethical principles that found the nursing profession. We are dedicated to strengthening our alliance with and support of all individuals and communities at risk of marginalization and/or violence including Black, Brown, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQ persons, immigrants, people with disabilities, and people from diverse religious backgrounds. We invite all of you who are a part of the UIC College of Nursing community to join us in striving for equity and justice for all people, in keeping us all accountable to our mission, and in creating a learning environment that is safe and supportive for all.
Updated June 4, 2020
News and Events Heading link
Sweet Start: Welcome Back to UIC College of Nursing
Fall Yoga at UIC Nursing
If you have an idea for an equity and inclusion event, please email sreid11@uic.edu Heading link
If you have an idea for an equity and inclusion event, please email sreid11@uic.edu
Meet & Learn Series
2024 Cultural Events
Resources for Students, Faculty and Staff Heading link
Form: Talk to us about Equity and Inclusion
Talking about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Heading link
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Glossary of Common Equity and Inclusion Terms
ANTI-RACIST
Ideas and actions that identify and fight against racism.
Source: Healthy Chicago
CHANGE CHAMPION
People from all parts of an organization who volunteer to be advocates for a new way of thinking, talking, and acting. They lead cultural transformation, rapidly changing the core narratives in an organization that shifts day-to-day conversations, actions, and decisions in positive directions.
Source: Bushe-Marshak Institute
COMMUNITY
A network of individuals, each with unique perspectives, insights, and affiliations, connected by a shared lived experience of their neighborhood (or another context). This means there are multiple and diverse communities within “the community” and our engagement should acknowledge this cultural richness and be intentional about which members of various communities should be included.
Source: Elevated Chicago Community Engagement Principles 2.0
DIVERSITY
The totality of the ways people are similar and different, including race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation and identity, disability, national origin and citizenship status, age, language, culture, religion, economic status, and other historically excluded groups, particularly when those similarities and differences are used as a basis for unfair advantage and inequity.
Source: UIC DEI Strategic Plan
EQUITY
A focus on fairness and justice. Actions oriented toward equity go beyond considerations of equal access to resources and opportunities to understand that different levels of resources and opportunities may be necessary to achieve equality among students, faculty, and staff. This vision of equity includes identifying and eliminating barriers that have prevented the full inclusion of historically excluded and marginalized groups within the college of nursing
Source: UIC DEI Strategic Plan
HEALTH EQUITY
The opportunity for every person to live their healthiest life.
Source: Healthy Chicago
INCLUSION
Actions that ensure broad participation among all students, faculty, and staff in all aspects of academic and community life. Efforts toward inclusivity necessitate creating environments where all feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued.
Source: UIC DEI Strategic Plan
INEQUITIES
Inequities are created when barriers prevent individuals and communities from accessing these conditions and reaching their full potential. Inequities differ from health disparities, which are differences in health status between people related to social or demographic factors such as race, gender, income or geographic region. Health disparities are one way we can measure our progress toward achieving health equity.
Source: American Public Health Association
POWER
Power operates everywhere at all times. Power is not fixed, but fluid; it is dependent on various factors, and relative to whatever space or community we’re in. At a personal level, identities, relationships, connections, institutional affiliations, structural access, access to resources and safety nets, job titles, and many other factors all shape how much power we have in a given situation. At an institutional level, the breadth and depth of our networks, a shared vision and goals, shared histories and political analysis, the ability to mobilize many people towards a shared purpose, and other factors shape how much power we have to affect change together.
Source: Human Impact Partners
RACE EQUITY
Process of eliminating racial disparities and improving outcomes for everyone. It is the intentional and continual practice of changing policies, practices, systems, and structures by prioritizing measurable change in the lives of people of color.
Source: Race Forward
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
The various conditions of where we collectively live, work, and play that shape how we experience our health at an individual level. Includes: Economic Stability, Education Access & Quality, Healthcare Access & Quality; Neighborhood & Built Environment; Social & Community Context
Source: Healthy People 2030, OASH
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Social justice is a communal effort dedicated to creating and sustaining a fair and equal society in which each person and all groups are valued and affirmed. It encompasses efforts to end systemic violence and racism and all systems that devalue the dignity and humanity of any person. It recognizes that the legacy of past injustices remains all around us, so therefore promotes efforts to empower individual and communal action in support of restorative justice and the full implementation of human and civil rights. Social justice imperatives also push us to create a civic space defined by universal education and reason and dedicated to increasing democratic participation.
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Commonly Used Acronyms
AACN
AAPI
BIPOC
BNS
CAECE
CON
DDOH
DEI
HDNS
HUG
PHNS
SDOH