The Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within the School of Nursing (SON) will play a vital role by providing leadership, coordination, consultation, strategic oversight, vision, and direction in support of the University of Rochester’s Equity and Inclusion institutional goals and in the implementation of the new strategic plan for the school.  The director will be responsible for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, across the SON, throughout nursing education curriculum, and will provide training and mentoring in support of faculty development. This position focuses on advancing DEI within nursing education, mentoring faculty in incorporating inclusive teaching practices and promoting scholarship that addresses health disparities and promotes equitable healthcare outcomes. The faculty member will be responsible for teaching core nursing courses with an emphasis on social determinants of health and health equity, while also contributing to the school’s DEI initiatives.

The Director will report to the Dean and work closely, as Co-Chair, with members of the school’s Council for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. This faculty appointment is an integral part of the SON’s commitment to creating an inclusive and diverse academic community that fosters excellence in healthcare education and prepares students to provide equitable care to diverse populations.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership:

• Serves as a member of the Dean’s Leadership Team; provides advice and partnership in helping to drive institutional change, creates more diverse curricular and co-curricular experiences, embraces a diverse student body, and fosters a more equitable and inclusive educational and workplace environment.
• Partners with leadership on School-wide diversity initiatives, such as the development of a strategic diversity, equity and inclusion plan that aligns with the institution wide DEI plan.
• Identifies measurable goals to inform decision making, track and communicate progress toward building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community, and evaluates the effectiveness of DEI programming.
• Partners with Human Resources and the Office for Equity and Inclusion to develop, implement, and monitor recruitment and hiring strategies to attract and retain a diverse employee workforce and serve as an advisor on all SON search committees.
• Works with school leadership to develop evaluation components that reflect faculty and staff progress in working toward the building of an equitable, diverse and inclusive learning and work environment.
• Identifies and collaborates on writing grants and promoting scholarship to support building an equitable, diverse and inclusive learning and work environment for all members of the SON community.
• Promote inclusive excellence across faculty scholarship, research, and external funding initiatives. This position involves collaborating with faculty to develop and implement strategies that enhance equity and inclusion within scholarly activities, including integrating diverse perspectives in research and securing external funding opportunities.

 Teaching:

• Develop and teach undergraduate and/or graduate courses within the SON, focusing on culturally responsive care, social determinants of health, health disparities, and strategies to promote equity in healthcare. Engage students in discussions on social determinants of health and systemic inequities affecting patient outcomes. Incorporate DEI principles into course content, fostering an inclusive learning environment for students of diverse backgrounds.
• Collaborate with nursing faculty to develop and implement inclusive teaching practices, curriculum design, and assessment strategies that promote equitable learning experiences for all students.
• Mentor faculty and students in DEI related areas, including culturally sensitive clinical practice, and guide them in addressing bias and promoting inclusion in both classroom and clinical settings.
• Partner with school leadership to address structural inequities in nursing education, including faculty recruitment and retention strategies, curriculum reform, and policies that promote a more inclusive academic environment.

 Student Recruitment, Support, and Engagement:

• Works in close collaboration with educational leadership – Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Senior Associate and Associate Deans for Education in addition to the Dean’s office and Admissions Office to promote student success including providing support and consultation related to the university’s policies and guidelines regarding equity, inclusion, discrimination, and harassment.
• Participates in orientation, welcome programming, and prospective student programming. Presents at virtual and in-person orientation programs to engage students and answer questions.
• Explores, develops, and supports affinity groups and clubs at the SON and promotes participation in UR wide graduate student clubs. 

School, University and Community Partnerships:

• Ensures representation of the SON on University of Rochester committees and works on cross-campus initiatives and programs, as appropriate. These may include, but are not limited to, the University Diversity and Equity Deans and Directors Council, UR Diversity Conference planning, School of Medicine and Dentistry equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives, URMC Office of Equity and Inclusion and other training programs in support of the Office for Equity and Inclusion.
• Partners with SON Communications team on DEI website presence, and other marketing efforts, as appropriate.
• Represents the SON and our commitment to DEI at regional and national conferences for professional development, education and networking such as American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and National League for Nursing (NLN), National Association of Hispanic Nurses, and National Black Nurses Association (NBNA), and others as appropriate as a presenter or attendee.
• Co-Chairs the SON Council on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
• Builds culturally responsive partnerships and pipeline programs with the Rochester community and other organizations like RBNA, etc.
• Participates in community outreach and develops partnerships with healthcare organizations that align with DEI goals, particularly those serving underserved populations or addressing public health inequities.

Qualifications

• A terminal degree (PhD, DNP, or equivalent) in nursing or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, particularly in nursing or healthcare education.
• A strong record of teaching, including experience integrating DEI principles into nursing curriculum and fostering culturally competent care in clinical practice.
• A commitment to addressing health disparities and advancing equity in healthcare through research, education, and community engagement.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and leadership skills, with the ability to work effectively across interdisciplinary teams.
• The ideal candidate will have experience in obtaining external funding, advancing equity and inclusion in academic settings, and supporting faculty in embedding DEI principles into their scholarly work.

Application Process:

Using this link http://apply.interfolio.com/157049 candidates should submit a cover letter detailing their experience and commitment to DEI in nursing education, a curriculum vitae, a teaching philosophy that emphasizes inclusive pedagogy, and a statement of research interests related to health equity. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.