ADEA Annual Report 2021 – Inclusive Environment

Inclusive Environment

ADEA Deploys Landmark Climate Study to Dental Schools and Allied Dental Programs

ADEA continued to move forward with its climate study. In 2021, ADEA focused on designing the survey instrument and outreach to dental schools and allied dental education programs, encouraging them to register to participate in the dental education-wide climate assessment. Additionally, ADEA worked closely with the ADEA Collaborative on Dental Education Climate Assessment (ADEA CDECA) and Nonprofit HR, a consulting firm hired to assist in the design, collection and data analysis and reporting, in these efforts.

Under the direction of ADEA CDECA, Co-Chairs Dr. Sonya Smith, ADEA Chief Diversity Officer, and Dr. Todd Ester, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Nonprofit HR and the 17 ADEA CDECA volunteer members reviewed similar climate surveys administered by health professions associations, universities and dental schools as well as the related climate study survey literature to develop the survey instrument.

On Nov. 10, 2021, ADEA eLearn hosted a webinar entitled The Time is Now—The ADEA Climate Study: Advancing a Humanistic Environment and Transformation in Dental Education, to provide ADEA members and climate study liaisons more information. The webinar provided an overview of the importance of the climate study to dental education, findings of the Phase 1: Feasibility Study, the process, strategy development using results, recommendations, impact and outcomes, and the rationale for participation. The climate survey has been translated into French and Spanish, and received IRB approval in December 2021.

ADEA CDECA and Nonprofit HR worked with the ADEA’s Division of Communications and Membership (DCM) to develop a marketing strategy with key messaging to drive dental school and allied dental program participation. With key input from ADEA CDECA, DCM managed a comprehensive website buildout, created the unique ADEA Climate Study brand identity and graphics package, oversaw video production of grand ambassador appeals and a related video promotional strategy, and developed targeted grassroots messaging and an email campaign.

As of January 2022, 88%, (60) of eligible U.S. and Canadian dental schools registered to participate in the ADEA climate study. Of ADEA allied dental education member programs, 179, or 75%, registered to participate, and 60 nonmember ADEA allied dental education programs signed up for the study. To coordinate and help implement the survey, each dental school and allied dental education program identified campus liaisons, who received training and have been provided marketing materials to assist with campus outreach. A list of the ADEA CDECA U.S. and Canadian dental education representatives can be found here. The survey launch period is Jan. 4, 2022, through March 31, 2022.

ADEA Drafting Report on HURE Students at U.S. Dental Schools

As part of ADEA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion within dental education and the dental workforce, Karen P. West, D.M.D., M.P.H., ADEA President and CEO, commissioned a report on the pathways, challenges and opportunities to increase the recruitment, retention and graduation of historically underrepresented racial and ethnic (HURE) students. Additionally, the report, entitled Slow to Change: HURE Groups in Dental Education, will examine best practices and model programs aimed at increasing HURE students, particularly men of color in dental education.

The ADEA Offices of Access, Diversity and Inclusion and Educational Pathways are working jointly to develop the report with the Office of Policy and Educational Research. A call to action and recommendations for addressing and developing programs and outreach to increase racial/ethnic diversity within U.S. dental schools will be included. As of this writing, the report was scheduled for released in March, and an educational session to highlight the report was planned for the 2022 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition.

ADEA Lifts its Voice Against Racism, Harassment, Discrimination and Bias in Dental Education

In light of events and violence in our nation related to race-, gender- and sexual orientation-based discrimination and bias, ADEA issued the ADEA Statement Against Racism and Violence Against Individuals of Asian Descent, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The statement references the ADEA Policy Statement on the Prevention and Elimination of Racism, Harassment, Discrimination and Bias in Dental Education, which was developed by the ADEA Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee (DIAC) and supported by the ADEA Board of Directors. The resolution was unanimously approved by ADEA DIAC in December 2020, and Resolution 6H-2021 was approved by the ADEA House of Delegates during the virtual 2021 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition. The resolution supplements the Statement of ADEA Policy on Diversity and Inclusion (revised and adopted by the 2016 ADEA House of Delegates).

Resolution 6H-2021 enables ADEA to facilitate communication of ADEA’s commitment to combat hate, bias, harassment and dental education; support ADEA’s mission and strategic plan to develop and sustain inclusive and supportive institutional environments; and meet the expanded role of ADEA as a diversity, equity and inclusion leader in health care and health care education. The full text of Resolution 6H-2021 can be found in the and the statement was published in July 2021 in the Proceedings supplement to the Journal of Dental Education.

ADEA Tapestry Table Features NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith

As part of the 2021 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition, the ADEA Tapestry Table (ADEA TT) featuring NFL all-time leading rusher and Dancing With the Stars champion Emmitt Smith, was held on March 14, 2021. Sonya G. Smith, Ed.D., J.D., ADEA Chief Diversity Officer, hosted the virtual session using a talk-show format. Discussions with Mr. Smith focused on his legacy, life lessons and the role of athletes in advancing social justice movements.. The pre-taped session was followed by a live question-and-answer segment.

The Procter & Gamble Company and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare provided sponsorship. Representatives from both companies shared information on initiatives to further diversity, equity and inclusion within their organizations and outreach to support health equity in various countries.

ADEA TT was the second highest watched session at the 2021 Annual Session & Exhibition, and the third highest on-demand session. In total, 527 individuals watched ADEA TT live and to date, 81 people have watched the session after the conclusion of the 2021 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition. During the live Q&A session, 2,012 comments and responses were posted into the chat feature.

ADEA Creates Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Staff Advisory Committee

As a result of the Black Lives Matter/Anti-racism sweeping the United States, ADEA senior leaders committed themselves to developing and fostering a more welcoming, diverse and inclusive environment for ADEA staff. To accomplish this goal, Karen P. West, D.M.D., M.P.H., ADEA President and CEO, along with the members of the ADEA Board of Directors, approved the creation of the ADEA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Staff Advisory Committee (ADEIC) in September 2020.

As part of the 2019-22 ADEA Strategic Directions, ADEA aims to develop and sustain an inclusive environment in which its staff works together in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world. The mission of this new staff advisory committee has been to foster a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone at ADEA is treated equitably, respectfully and with dignity. The ADEIC members include representatives from each ADEA focus area.

ADEA Conducts Virtual 2021 ADEA DEI Workshop

On Oct. 27, 2021, ADEA held the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Workshop, Creating Inclusive Spaces: Mitigating In/Out-Group Bias in Dental Education. Sponsored by Henry Schein, Inc., and led by Shindale Seale, Ed.D., from SEADE Coaching & Consulting, the workshop served to help participants design programs, policies and activities to eliminate in-group/out-group bias on their respective campuses.

Consistent with the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) standard on a humanistic environment, the workshop focused on the impact of in-group/out-group bias. While respect for differences and becoming more culturally competent are important, in-group/out-group bias influences various aspects of interactions among students, faculty, staff, fellows and patients and related decisions. Through participatory exercises, attendees developed campus strategies for leveraging in-group identity to eliminate bias and foster humanistic and inclusive environments in support of dental school and allied dental program community stakeholders.

During the workshop, Keith Mays, Ph.D., D.D.S., M.S., Chair of the ADEA Board of Directors, and Dr. Karen West, ADEA President and CEO, extended greetings on behalf of the organization. Additionally, Dr. Sonya Smith, ADEA Chief Diversity Officer, and Malik Seelal, Diversity & Inclusion Specialist from Henry Schein, Inc., discussed the importance of providing inclusive spaces for members of the health professions and provided highlights about what Henry Schein and other organizations are doing to eliminate in group/out group bias across the country.

As part of ADEA’s strategy to incrementally move toward a “new normal,” modest registration fees were charged for all 2021 conferences. Consequently, all conference registration projections were conservatively lower compared to the previous year. While the workshop’s total registration (211) was down significantly from the prior year, the decrease was anticipated and attributed to the reinstatement of registration fees and some “virtual event fatigue.” Conversely, paid registration (172) outpaced both the attendance goal by 121% and final registration of the 2019 face-to-face event by 131%.

ADEA Holds Webinars Related to Diversity, Inclusion and Belongingness in Dental Education

On Oct. 5, 2021, the ADEA Office of Access, Diversity and Inclusion (ADEA ADI) and the ADEA Office of Educational Pathways combined efforts with the National Coalition of Dentists for Health Equity to host an ADEA eLearn webinar entitled How Racism Might Impact Dental School Admissions and How to Combat Problems. The webinar reviewed the results of a recent study that explored pathways into the dental profession for Black/African American, Latinx and American Indian students and how pathway programs can lead to more equitable admissions processes.

The dental admissions process serves as both a barrier to ascertaining a dental career and an untapped resource for growing the profession. Therefore, attention must be given to addressing how racism can impact the admissions process. The panel was facilitated by Carolyn Booker, Ph.D., ADEA Chief of Educational Pathways. Panelists included Caswell Evans, D.D.S., M.P.H., Emeritus Professor and Past Associate Dean for Prevention and Public Health Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry and Eleanor Fleming, Ph.D., D.D.S., M.P.H., FICD, Associate Professor, Department of Dental Public Health, Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry.

On Nov. 2, 2021, ADEA eLearn co-hosted a webinar with the American Institute of Dental Public Health, titled Strengthening LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Dental Education. The webinar focused on the importance of strengthening LGBTQ+ inclusion in dental education.

The panel discussion included Dan Walker, D.D.S., Practicing Dental Resident; Scott Howell, D.M.D., M.P.H., FSCD, A.T. Still University; and Maria Inglehart, Dr. Phil. Habil., University of Michigan. The webinar showcased best practices for evaluating dental school curricula regarding LGBTQIA+ patient and educator inclusion—examining dental education environments and how they facilitate effective LGBTQIA+ patient engagement and identifying opportunities to improve LGBTQIA+ inclusion within institutions of dental education.

On Nov. 30, 2021, ADEA ADI hosted an ADEA eLearn webinar titled Belongingness as a Pathway to Diversity and Inclusion in Dental Education. The webinar was hosted by Sonya Smith, Ed.D., J.D., ADI Chief Diversity Officer; Tita Gray, Ed.D., Senior Vice President, Access, Diversity and Inclusion; and Angelo Lee, M.Ed., Senior Director, Access, Diversity and Inclusion.

In recent years, “belonging” has reemerged as a key concept within the diversity, equity and inclusion framework. Historically, within the health care system, not belonging has resulted in discrimination and the differential treatment of some populations, even to the point of ultimately denying their humanity and their civil and human rights. As members of the academic dentistry community, we are charged with creating and maintaining a humanistic environment and inclusive culture.

During the live broadcast, 224 participants explored the neuroscience of belonging. Additionally, on a scale from 1-10, this webinar received a score of 9.06 related to one’s likelihood to recommend this webinar to a colleague or friend.

ADEA Staff Pursue Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Certifications

In 2021, 10 ADEA staff members participated in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Virtual Workplace professional certificate program offered by the University of South Florida Muma College of Business. The free seven-week certificate program ran from March to mid-May and focused on ways organizations can advance diversity, address equity issues and foster inclusivity in the workplace. The ADEA staff members who completed the program certificate were Julie Boynton, Tracy Beale, Kellie Bove, LaKecia Easley, Emilia Istrate, Kelli Johnson, Alex Prescott, Franc Slapar, Carolyn Vincent and Ben Yzaguirre. To supplement their learning, Kelli Johnson, now former ADEA ADI staff member who also served as a co-chair of a subcommittee of the ADEA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Staff Advisory Committee, hosted virtual debriefing sessions to discuss the curriculum.