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Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Indigenous Land Acknowledgment

The University of Utah has both historical and contemporary relationships with Indigenous peoples. Given that the Salt Lake Valley has always been a gathering place for Indigenous peoples, we acknowledge that this land, which is named for the Ute Tribe, is the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Shoshone, Paiute, Goshute, and Ute Tribes and is a crossroad for Indigenous peoples.

The University of Utah recognizes the enduring relationships between many Indigenous peoples and their traditional homelands. We are grateful for the territory upon which we gather today; we respect Utah’s Indigenous peoples, the original stewards of this land; and we value the sovereign relationships that exist between tribal governments, state governments, and the federal government.

Today, approximately 60,000 American Indian and Alaska Native peoples live in Utah. As a state institution, the University of Utah is committed to serving Native communities throughout Utah in partnership with Native Nations and our Urban Indian communities through research, education, and community outreach activities.

Overview

The Department of OB/GYN believes that diversity, in all forms, strengthens our work and significantly increases the reach and vibrancy of our missions in clinical care, education, research, and service to our community. We have established our department's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to further our efforts.

The Committee seeks to increase the recruitment, retention, and advancement of diverse faculty, trainees, nursing, research, and administrative and ancillary staff. We also seek to engender a culture that embraces, celebrates, and actively cultivates diversity and belonging throughout our department.

Committee Trainings

The committee organizes trainings, enhances the visibility of health equity events throughout the University, and, in partnership with the Office of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, is developing the Department’s Diversity Action Plan. We work with our trainee and faculty hiring programs to ensure that diversity and equity perspectives are incorporated into our recruitment efforts.

We have begun efforts to survey our faculty, trainees, and staff to understand our climate and environment, and we commit to further enhancing the supportive culture of the OB/GYN Department.