UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN – SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY
MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (MAC)
MISSION
The mission of the University of Michigan School of
Dentistry Multicultural Affairs Committee is to create an
atmosphere where students, staff, faculty and patients can
inter-act and benefit in a supportive environment by
promoting justice and by exploring and celebrating
differences and similarities.
The Multicultural Affairs Committee will contribute to the
University of Michigan School of Dentistry’s process for
achieving excellence through diversity by:
- Providing directions for changed and promoting progress
based on current and previous findings of the Multicultural
Initiatives Committee;
- Acting as an advisory committee to the Dean of School and
providing yearly progress reports to the Dean for
dissemination;
- Supporting other groups and committees in promoting
multiculturalism and diversity.
HISTORY
In 1994 / 95, we conducted a cultural audit at the University
of Michigan – School of Dentistry to analyze the cultural
climate in our school. We collected survey data from
patients, students, staff and faculty members, observational
data concerning disability issues, focus group data from
members of our school with specific characteristics such as
from older adults or from persons who self identified as
LGB, statistical information about recruitment and retention
of persons from underrepresented minority backgrounds,
and analyzed which resource materials our library had. After
analyzing all these data, we came up with recommendations.
One of the recommendations was to have a multicultural
affairs committee and the MAC was born as a school
committee that reports to directly to the dean.
MONTHLY
AND THEN?
ONCE IN A WHILE
In 2005/06 we repeated the survey section of the
cultural audit from 1994/95. In collaboration with the
ADVANCE Program, we again collected data from
students, staff and faculty members. After
analyzing the data, MAC made recommendations to
the dean for changes.
ONCE A YEAR
The University of Michigan
School of Dentistry
ONCE A YEAR
Taste fest
About once a year, we organize a potluck lunch in our
atrium - tastefully defined as Taste fest. We encourage
our participants to decorate their tables with cultural
artifacts from their own culture and share a dish that is
typical for their own culture.
Women’s month activity
In March, we celebrate Women’s Month with an event
such as a tea or a craft fair.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
"A Diversity Buffet and
Taste of Culture"
Monday, January 17, 2011
2:00—4:00 p.m.
Student Forum
Disability CE events
Once a month, a free continuing education
program for staff and faculty in the school
about treating patients with special needs.
This program started in January 2002 and has
since been conducted every month during the
year with a summer break in July and August.
University of Michigan – School of Dentistry
Multicultural Affairs Committee
Free CE Series on “Treating Patients with Special Needs”
Fall 2010
September: Sleep apnea
October:
Treating pediatric patients with special needs
November: Oral hygiene services for patients with
developmental disabilities
December: Diabetes and periodontal disease
Winter 2011
January:
Periodontitis and Cardiovascular Disease
February: Periodontitis and Pregnancy Outcomes
March:
ADHD and interactions in the dental office
April:
Child abuse, elder abuse and domestic violence.
Spring 2011
May:
Treating patients in the emergency room
June:
Treating patients with HIV/AIDS
Raising awareness brown bags
MLK celebration & Ida Gray Award:
We organize monthly brown bags presented by members of
our school that report about their country of origin or their
travels to another country.
Every year, MAC organizes an MLK event on the afternoon
of MLK Day for the members of the SoD. At the MLK event,
the Ida Gray awards are presented by the dean to the
student, staff and faculty member who in one way or another
contributed to making the cultural climate in our school
better.
“Getting to Know YOU” Brown Bag presentations
October 2010
Dr. May reports about the Kenya trip
November 2010
Evelyn and Victoria Lucas-Perry will talk
about their Jamaica trip
The Muslim Dental Student
Association reports
Hispanic Dental Association reports
December 2010
January 2011
A FEW TIMES A YEAR
February 2011
About three times a year, we distribute the
April 2010
Luke Danning, Jon Hekman & Stephen
Mancewicz report about Honduras trip
Yoshita Patel – Dental Care in India
May 2011
Miran Forsyth reports about Guayana trip
MULTICULTURAL MIRROR
Orientation Programs for incoming dental
and dental hygiene students
WHO?
The MAC consists of students, staff and
faculty members. To recruit new members,
an email is sent to the dental school
community and everybody is asked to self
nominate or to nominate others. The MAC
members review the nominations and
suggest nominees to the dean that represent
the school wide community. The dean
appoints the members.
EVERY DAY
The entering dental and dental hygiene classes participate
in two classroom based diversity related orientation
sessions and visit the African American History Museum in
Detroit and the Farmington Hills Holocaust Memorial.
This newsletter informs the SoD members
about ongoing events, new members of our
community, and holiday celebrations. The
newsletter is distributed to our dental school
community as an email attachment. Hard
copies are distributed as well.
Our director of multicultural affairs works
continuously to raise awareness and
advocate.
Our ethnic student organizations such as the
SNDA, HDA, Muslim and Asian student
groups make our school a better place for all
students
We all celebrate the diversity of our patients,
students, staff and faculty members.