An internal review at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine found a “generalized” perception that the school climate is especially adverse to African-Americans. The perception, according to the report, may be so pervasive that it has affected the school’s reputation.
“It’s good that it’s been acknowledged. … I was worried because sometimes the results of an internal review may be skewed,” said Andre Gillespie, an African-American dentist in Denver who graduated from the school in 2008. “It sounds like they’re admitting that things can be better. … Maybe other minorities will start to get a fair shake — at least I hope so.”
Report: Read the final report on the CU School of Dental Medicine
The 24-page report, issued by the school Wednesday, said a number of other items “warrant immediate attention.” Among them was a need to improve the climate for everyone regardless of race, gender, nationality, social class, religion and sexual orientation.
While the school has taken “laudable” steps to strengthen its approach to diversity and inclusion, “much more is needed,” according to the report, which was drawn from numerous interviews and a student survey.
According to Eugene Brooks, an associate professor at the school, there have been 10 black graduates of the school since 1977, compared with 1,600 white graduates. He also said that as of February, the school had never admitted an African-American to its orthodontics or general-practice residency programs.
Gillespie, Brooks and others have characterized the experience at the school as a “separate” learning experience, in which minority students often don’t receive the same level of hands-on instruction and assistance as white students.
Their complaints led to the internal review, which started in October and was led by Brenda Allen, an associate vice chancellor of diversity and inclusion.
The process included interviews with about 40 individuals at the school, including students and members of the faculty and staff. Also, 175 students, 44 percent of the student body, responded in February to the survey.
While the six-member committee didn’t attempt to verify the students’ accounts of their experiences or try to ascertain the intent of the faculty members portrayed in those stories, “perception is reality,” Allen said. “It’s clear there are serious issues and challenges that need to be dealt with.”
According to the climate survey, 24 percent of students said they witnessed other students making disparaging remarks or exhibiting hostile behavior toward minority groups; 11 percent said the same was done by faculty members.
Twenty percent said the school had a sexist environment; 13 percent said it was racist; and 12 percent said it was biased against certain sexual orientations.
Allen said many of the instances described in the survey were “microaggressions,” which the committee defined as “brief and commonplace daily, verbal, behavioral or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative slights and insults towards members of oppressed groups.”
“People have this vision of only blatant actions as mattering,” Allen said. “Someone will say something and then try to take it back later — ‘I didn’t mean it.’ But my comeback is that it still had an impact on me, and saying that it wasn’t intentionally malicious doesn’t let you off the hook.”
The committee recommends the school take immediate steps, including getting leaders to strongly communicate a commitment to diversity. Also, the school should “acquire substantial resources” to fund scholarships for students from under-represented minority groups and develop programs to attract students and ensure diversity. There should also be a strategic plan for ongoing accountability at the school.
Anthony Cotton: 303-954-1292, acotton@denverpost.com or twitter.com/anthonycottondp
