UUGPGC DEI Statement:

We, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (DEIC), pledge to commit ourselves to upholding core values of diversity, cultural humility, awareness of implicit biases, anti-racism, and allyship throughout the University of Utah Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling. We acknowledge that racism and bias are present within our community, and we strive to perpetuate and maintain a welcoming environment for all trainees, staff, and faculty of the UUGPGC. We demonstrate that we uphold these values in our program through our admissions process, curriculum design, and support systems for our students and faculty:

  • We partner with the University of Utah Office of Inclusion and Diversity to strategize ways to improve our perspectives. We welcome conversations and feedback from all members of our community. We recognize that promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within a graduate program is an ongoing experience and we are always learning and improving our perspectives.
  • We recognize that applicants from marginalized backgrounds have had to overcome barriers in order to apply for our program. We understand the value of supporting applicants from diverse backgrounds as well as acknowledge that the ways we converse, collaborate, and learn are impacted by culture. Our community benefits when we learn from each other’s unique perspectives and diverse experiences.
  • We perform regular evaluations of the curriculum to ensure our class content captures an inclusive space, fosters a safe learning environment, and empowers our students with a sense of belonging. Diverse backgrounds are appreciated, respected, and welcomed. We encourage all lecturers to consider incorporating concepts of health, education, and justice across patients from all backgrounds, races, family structures, religions, and identities.
  • We support our faculty and students in providing an inclusive environment for patients from all backgrounds to improve health outcomes. We commit to providing ongoing education opportunities for faculty and staff, including training on being anti-racist, implicit bias and microaggression training, and other inclusivity training. We strive to create a vibrant community of genetic counselors in the Salt Lake Valley by providing opportunities to learn about Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consistent with values expressed by NSGC and our regional healthcare community