VCU School of Medicine Women in Medicine and Science

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May 2003

VCU School of Medicine Committee on the Status of Women and Minorities
Wednesday, May 21, 2003

Attending: Ms. Carol Hampton (presiding), Dr. Margaret Biber, Dr. Joann Bodurtha, Dr. Sherry Ceperich, Dr. Frances Christian, Dr. Deborah Lebman, Dr. Janet Niemeier, Dr. Arti Pandya, Carol Brooks

Absent: Drs. Cheryl Al-Mateen, Diane Biskobing, Denise Borden, Ms. Shelley Burns, Dolores Clement, Linda Corey, Abe DeAnda, Paulina Essah, Wendy Klein, Susan Kornstein, Louise Robertson, Karen Sanders, James Shaw, Bela Sood, Ms. Ann Setien

Ms. Carol Hampton, in the absence of Dr. Klein on sick leave, opened the meeting with a welcome to members.
The minutes from the April 16, 2003, meeting were approved as written. They will be placed on the website www.womeninmedicine.vcu.edu.
Announcements and updates were made as follows:
- The last WIMS Professional Development Seminar for the academic year, "Reflect, Refocus and Renew Your Career" with Dr. Page Morahan, on May 27 was announced. The WIMS Strategic Planning Dinner with Dr. Morahan on Monday, May 26, 6pm, home of Carol Hampton, with directions distributed, was also announced. The purpose of the dinner is to consult and strategize with Dr. Morahan about what COSOWAM and the WIMS Executive Council are doing at present and where they should be focusing their energies in the future. Everyone was invited to attend.
- Ms. Hampton gave an update on the Minority Center of Excellence (COE) Grant.
- The grant was not funded. Some of the strengths and weaknesses cited by the Peer Review Committee included:
  1. Faculty development plan
  2. Development of faculty diversity addressed in the accountability placed on department chairs to recruit and develop URM faculty members.
  3. SOM's curriculum and its focus on cultural competencies
  4. The University's strong external research funding
  5. Research development plan for faculty and available student research stipends.
  6. The lack of URM enrollment
  7. A decline in URM enrollment over the past four years
  8. Recruitment efforts have not produced significant gains in URM medical students or faculty
- Several comments by Committee members were offered in response to the decision by the Peer Review Committee:
  1. If the grant is resubmitted, Dr. Bodurtha suggested COSOWAM's participation to objectively review the grant and to provide additional feedback and perspective. Also, Dr. Torr's office or grant representative should debrief with COSOWAM to analyze and assess the grant's strengths and weaknesses.
  2. Dr. Christian commented that there is a real need to get a handle on why Black faculty are leaving because ultimately, it's linked to the recruitment of students.
  3. The Committee remarked that it might be profitable to visit with the Vice Provost of Diversity in planning the next strategy for the grant.
The DRAFT SOM Representation Data for Women and Black Faculty, 1998-2002, was reviewed and critiqued by the Committee before presentation by Drs. Klein and Sanders to Dean and department chairs on Wednesday, June 11, 2003, at the Dean's SOM Executive Committee. Carol asked for any recommendations or changes. Please e-mail any ideas or questions to Dr. Wendy Klein, wklein@mail2.vcu.edu or Dr. Karen Sanders, ksanders@cedar.vcu.edu.

Meeting was adjourned at 5:07 pm. Respectfully submitted, Deborah Stewart, Program Assistant

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