The College of Veterinary Medicine community has worked hard to get us to this moment of commitment and planning for a more equitable future. Our students, staff, faculty, and community partners are what make us one of the best CVM programs and our intentional commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is what will continue to take us forward.
Get involved in CVM DEI communities
Diversity and Inclusion Committee
The Diversity and Inclusion Committee (DNIC) is comprised of faculty, staff, and students representing all areas of CVM. It is charged with enhancing awareness and developing a comprehensive, systemic approach that fosters a collegiate learning and work environment representative and appreciative of race, ability, sexual orientation, and other identities of difference. DNIC works closely with the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, AC Diversity Leadership Group and VACA to promote DEI efforts in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Veterinarian Antiracist Coalition for Action (VACA)
VACA serves as an inclusive space for all faculty, staff, and students to enhance their learning and awareness of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In VACA, members have an opportunity to teach and learn about personal self, power and privilege, inclusivity, anti-bias, and diversity. VACA works closely with the DNIC community to promote inclusive efforts in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
AC Diversity Leadership Committee
The AC Diversity Leadership Group is composed of administration, department, and college leaders who work to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in all areas of the College of Veterinary Medicine. This group works closely with the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the CVM Dean, and DNIC to help drive inclusive efforts.
Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment (VOICE)
VOICE is a student-run organization that seeks to increase awareness of, respect for, and sensitivity to diversity among all individuals and communities in the field of veterinary medicine. In its celebration of diversity, VOICE seeks to foster a campus environment where all feel welcome and empowered to succeed. In emphasizing the importance of sociocultural awareness beyond the scope of the current core veterinary curriculum, VOICE hopes both to pave the way toward a more diverse professional community and to enhance our profession's ability to meet the needs of our diversifying clientele.
The UMN chapter of VOICE was founded in 2016. In 2017, this chapter also committed to Broad Spectrum Veterinary Student Association's vision of an inclusive veterinary community in which LGBTQ+ people and allies can thrive within our diverse profession. Please join us!
Consejos (advice) for engaging in the DEI community
Learning from students and about how they made their connections and decolonized the sciences is what brought me to Veterinary Medicine. In many ways, the sciences have already been leading the conversation on what it means to be equitable and inclusive and helping us see how powerful it is to engage in interdisciplinary work.