Newswise — NEW YORK, NY (September 16, 2014) — The Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CDM) has received the 2014 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. As a recipient of the annual HEED Award—a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—CDM will be featured along with 82 other recipients in INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine’s November 2014 issue.
“At the College of Dental Medicine, we are very proud of our targeted efforts to foster a student body diverse in thought, background, and experience within an inclusive environment,” said Dennis Mitchell, DDS, MPH, senior associate provost for faculty diversity and inclusion, associate professor of dental medicine, and senior associate dean for student development in the CDM. “As a school that strives to be the No. 1 destination for the world’s greatest scholars, we understand that we cannot achieve this aspiration without realizing our core values of inclusion and excellence. Accomplishing this requires that diversity be a fundamental academic accountability for our university, our schools, and our departments and evident through equity in recruiting, advancement, retention, and experience.”
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected CDM based on its exemplary diversity and inclusion initiatives as well as its ability to embrace a broad definition of diversity, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities, members of the LGBT community, and other underrepresented communities. In keeping with the mission set forth by the CDM admissions policy for diversity, which affirms the College’s commitment to ensure a “critical mass” of underrepresented students, as well as a student body that is broadly diverse in character, the school has continued to enroll a diverse DDS class. The last two entering classes (2017 and 2018, 20 percent) have included unprecedented numbers of students underrepresented in the dental profession. Excluding the dental schools of Meharry and Howard University (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and the University of Puerto Rico, CDM ranks in the top 10 percent of U.S. dental schools for enrollment of underrepresented minority dental students and first among its peer Northeast private dental schools.
The Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP), funded through a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is administered in collaboration with the College of Physicians & Surgeons Office of Diversity. CDM has enrolled a total of 35 graduates of the SMDEP program over the past decade, 19 of whom graduated from the CUMC SMDEP program (including three in the Class of 2017).
The Office of Diversity Affairs sponsors recruitment trips to several conferences targeting promising Underrepresented in Dentistry (UID) students. Various student organizations sponsor recruitment events on campus and participate in CDM’s hosting program for UID applicants during interview season.
“We hope the HEED award serves as a way to honor those institutions of higher education that recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion as part of their everyday campus culture,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
Other recipients of the 2014 HEED award are:
Alliant International UniversityCalifornia State University San MarcosCalifornia State University, FresnoCalifornia State University, East BayCapital Community CollegeCase Western Reserve UniversityCentral Michigan UniversityCentral Washington UniversityCity University of New York School of Law Cleveland State UniversityCommunity College of Allegheny CountyCornell UniversityCuyahoga Community CollegeDavenport UniversityDePaul UniversityEast Carolina UniversityEdinboro University of PennsylvaniaEl Paso Community CollegeElon UniversityFlorida State UniversityFramingham State UniversityGeorgia Institute of TechnologyGeorgia Regents UniversityGeorgia State UniversityGrand Valley State UniversityGreenville Technical CollegeGrossmont-Cuyamaca Community College DistrictHighline CollegeIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiIndiana University-Purdue University IndianapolisKansas State UniversityKent State UniversityLouisiana State UniversityMetropolitan State University of DenverMichigan Technological UniversityMillersville UniversityMissouri State UniversityMontana State UniversityMoraine Valley Community CollegeNorth Carolina State UniversityNorthern Virginia Community CollegeOklahoma State UniversityPalo Alto UniversityQuinnipiac UniversityRaritan Valley Community CollegeRochester Institute of TechnologySan Diego State UniversitySchool of the Art Institute of ChicagoSeminole State College of FloridaSouthern Illinois University CarbondaleSouthern Illinois University EdwardsvilleSouthwestern Law SchoolSt. Cloud State UniversitySUNY Buffalo State CollegeSUNY Downstate Medical CenterSUNY OneontaSUNY SystemTexas Tech UniversityThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUnion College New YorkUniversity of AkronUniversity of California, San FranciscoUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of CincinnatiUniversity of Colorado BoulderUniversity of GeorgiaUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoUniversity of LouisvilleUniversity of Minnesota, Twin CitiesUniversity of Missouri-St. LouisUniversity of North FloridaUniversity of South CarolinaUniversity of the RockiesUniversity of Texas at AustinUniversity of ToledoUniversity of VermontUniversity of VirginiaUniversity of Wisconsin-La CrosseVirginia TechWestern Michigan UniversityWilliam Marsh Rice University
For more information about the 2014 HEED award, visit www.insightintodiversity.com.
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, one of the first dental schools in the United States, was founded in 1916. Its mission is to train general dentists and dental specialists in a setting that emphasizes comprehensive dental care; to support research to advance the professional knowledge base; and to provide dental care to the underserved communities of Northern Manhattan. Its faculty has played a leadership role in advancing the inclusion of oral health programs in national health-care policy and has developed novel programs to expand oral care locally and in developing countries. CDM is developing an international program in education and service. For more information, visit dental.columbia.edu.
Insight Into Diversity, celebrating its 40th year in 2014, is the largest and oldest diversity publication in higher education today. Known for its annual Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, this is the only award recognizing colleges and universities for outstanding diversity and inclusion efforts across campuses. In addition to its online job board, INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine presents timely, thought-provoking news and articles on matters of diversity and inclusion across higher education and beyond. Feature stories include interviews with innovators and experts, and profiles of best practices and model programs. Readers also find career opportunities that connect job seekers with institutions and businesses embracing a diverse and inclusive workforce. Current, archived and digital issues of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine are available online at www.insightintodiversity.com.
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