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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

  • Did you know … that 50.3% of kindergartners in 2014 were children of color?  By 2050, nearly half of the people in our workforce will be people of color.
  • Did you know … that diversity and inclusion have been added to COE accreditation standards for veterinary colleges?
  • Did you know … that a recent article in Social Innovations Journal stated “To be truly responsive to the needs of a changing population, nonprofit organizations need to focus on addressing cultural incapacity, cultural blindness and gaps in multicultural representation in organizational leadership and program design.”
  • Did you know … that ASAE’s website states “Associations that intend to remain relevant today and long into the future recognize the strategic importance of diversity and inclusion (D&I) as an association management discipline.”

VMAE compiled the following resources to assist veterinary organizations with advancing and promoting diversity and inclusion within profession. If your association has resources you would like to add to this library, please email the item to admin@vmae.org.

Journey - A Guide for Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine

VMAE developed the Journey guide for use by executive directors and elected leaders at veterinary medical associations. We encourage you to use this great resource, meant to inspire organizations to undertake the journey and provide the tools you need to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. It will support you in becoming a more effective leader, a more visible ally, and a more articulate voice on why advancing DEI is critical to the future of the veterinary profession.

Journey for Teams

The Journey for Teams program, created by the AVMA in conjunction with the Veterinary Medical Association Executives (VMAE), gives every member of the veterinary community a pathway to foster DEI in our workplaces. It’s a comprehensive and collaborative program that engages and empowers individual members of every veterinary team to build support and understanding of DEI from the ground up.

Presentations from ThinkWORKS: Diversity and Inclusion: A Roadmap for Success in Organized Veterinary Medicine

Diversity and Inclusion: Putting our Oath in Action – Janet Donlin, DVM, CAE

Core Values, Diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine – Lisa Greenhill, MPA, EdD

Intentional Organization D&I Efforts Assessment Tool – Lisa Greenhill, MPA, EdD

Roadmap for Success – Kauline Cipriani, PhD

Leaning into Strengths and Opportunities – Kim D’Abreu, MPH

D&I Action Plan Document – Kim D’Abreu, MPH (coming soon)

LGVMA Advocacy Impact – Melinda Merck, DVM

Online Resources
  • AAVMC produces a monthly series of podcasts titled Diversity and Inclusion on Air: Conversations about Diversity, Inclusion & Veterinary Medicine. Each month interviews and presentations on diversity topics and programs will air for approximately an hour. Participants and viewers will be able to access the program live, post questions, engage in a chat room during the program. At the end of the program, the session will automatically upload to the Diversity Matters at AAVMC YouTube page for later viewing.
  • The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) has a searchable online library that contains extensive resources on diversity and inclusion. Visit www.asaecenter.org to search; ASAE members can log in to have full access to the content.  Examples of content available through ASAE include:
    • Cultural Competency: What is it and how can I become more competent?
    • The Case for More Conversation About Diversity and Inclusion
    • Diverse Boards Boost Organizational Success
    • How to Get the Diversity Data You Need
  • BoardSource has curated resources that “reflect what we believe to be some of the best thinking and practical advice to boards on diversity, inclusion, and equity – and the relationship between the three – across the social sector (and beyond.)  You can peruse the highlighted research, articles and resources here.
  • The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges routinely provides access to certain data sets to the general public on their website including DVM Student Diversity Data.
  • Welcoming Environment Resource Kit from Association Forum is designed for association executives who are interested in learning, practicing and implementing a Welcoming Enviroment at their association. These concepts can be immediately implemented in every facet of the association including workforce, membership, and leadership.
  • The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine has developed a CVM Community of Inclusion Certificate Program as a way for faculty, staff, and students (professional, graduate, and VPH) in the college to demonstrate their commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion within the college, the veterinary profession, and the communities we serve. They have developed a set of learning experiences including Ted Talks, Privilege Tests, training videos, and more.
  • The AVMA completed the Task Force on Diversity’s Final Report in 2006.
  • Take the Harvard Implicit Association Tests to determine your social  attitudes and beliefs.
  • Wish to build Inclusion and Community at your conference? Try having an “I am” wall.
Book Recommendations

The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies – Scott Page

The Diversity Bonus: How Great Teams Pay Off in the Knowledge Economy – Scott Page