Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We are firmly committed to welcoming, developing and maintaining scientists and educators in a culture that embraces individuals with diverse life experiences. This includes engaging and nurturing a broad representation of individuals who value science and education, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, mental or physical ability, age, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation. In pursuit of advancing the anatomical sciences, we promote the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion. – Approved by the Board of Directors, February 27, 2017

Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan

Approved by the Board of Directors on October 27, 2017

This document is available for download as a PDF.

I. MEMBERSHIP

A. Goal: By 2025, increase representation of individuals from diverse and underrepresented groups within AAA membership, achieving parity with or exceeding the AAMC benchmarks for faculty demographics with regard to race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, mental or physical ability, age, gender identity or expression, and sexual orientation

• Action Item: Starting in 2017, leverage outreach activities to recruit members from underrepresented groups
• Action Item: Starting in 2017, assist the Membership Committee in developing and implementing an action plan to engage, include, and involve new and continuing members in AAA activities
• Action Item: By 2018, modify the member profile page to include optional selections for race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, mental or physical abilities, age, gender identity or expression, and sexual orientation
• Action item: Starting in 2018, market the new profile page to members as a way to track progress of the AAA Strategic Plan with regard to diversity and inclusion
• Action Item: Starting in 2018, at least twice per year, highlight a new member from an underrepresented group and their science and institution in a brief newsletter article

B. Goal: Foster an inclusive, engaged community, enabling members to voice ideas, and to create specialized interest groups with impact on the AAA

• Action Item: Starting in 2017, at least annually, inform members of their opportunity to provide input regarding AAA direction and activities to AAA leadership through Anatomy Connected
• Action Item: Starting in 2017, at least annually, communicate to members that any AAA member can develop an interest group on Anatomy Connected, and that there are funding opportunities for interest groups to achieve their goals within the AAA
• Action Item: Starting in 2018, create opportunities within the annual meeting schedule for interest groups to meet for work or social activities
• Action Item: Starting in 2018, at least annually, solicit a newsletter article from/about an interest group, highlighting their history and impact on the AAA

II. COMMITTEES

A. Goal: By 2019, include accountability for diversity and inclusion as an element of all Committee role descriptions.

• Action Item: Starting in 2017, revise the application process so that volunteers for Committees document their contributions and dedication to diversity and inclusion (e.g., at their home institutions)
• Action Item: Starting in 2017, distribute the AAA diversity statement, goals/action items, and outcomes from past years to Committee members, and communicate the importance of selecting diverse Committee members and award winners
• Action Item: Starting in 2018, provide resources and expectations for unconscious bias training for all Committee members
• Action Item: By 2018, determine metrics for measuring the effectiveness of efforts to secure a diverse candidate pool for awards, and communicate outcomes to Committees and the Board (e.g., diversity of applicant pool, as well as diversity of candidates selected)

B. Goal: By 2025, ensure that Committee members reflect the diversity of the current membership, demonstrating parity with or exceeding the AAMC benchmarks for faculty demographics with regard to race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, mental or physical ability, age, gender identity or expression, and sexual orientation

• Action Item: Starting in 2017, increase awareness of Committee opportunities among underrepresented members through active recruitment and encouragement to self-nominate
• Action Item: Starting in 2018, actively recruit Committee members from Hispanic-serving institutions, historically black colleges and universities, and tribal colleges and universities
• Action Item: By 2018, determine metrics for measuring the effectiveness of efforts to secure a diverse candidate pool for Committees, and communicate outcomes to Committees and the Board (e.g. diversity of applicant pool, as well as diversity of candidates selected)

III. LEADERSHIP

A. Goal: By 2025, increase representation of individuals from diverse and underrepresented groups within AAA leadership, achieving parity with or exceeding AAA general membership with regard to race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, mental or physical ability, age, gender identity or expression, and sexual orientation

• Action Item: Starting in 2017, expand recruitment and nomination committee actions to target individuals with leadership potential, and to enable applicants and nominees to document their contributions and dedication to diversity and inclusion (e.g., at their home institutions)
• Action Item: Starting in 2017, actively develop the historically successful role of the Committee for Early-Career Anatomists into a recruitment and leadership development training ground
• Action Item: Starting in 2018, make use of voluntarily provided information in the membership database for participatory and leadership appointments on standing and ad hoc committees, task forces, and representational positions (such as Legislative Hill Day, FASEB, Award Selection Committees, etc.)
• Action Item: Starting in 2018, develop a system for tracking progress on participation of members from underrepresented groups in volunteer, appointed, and elected positions
• Action Item: By 2020, develop a leadership training program for members from underrepresented groups, with a mentoring component, leader tracking, and metrics for success

B. Goal: Ensure that all leaders are aware of and are in support of diversity and inclusion activities, programs, and initiatives

• Action Item: Starting in 2017, communicate and discuss openly the finalized Diversity and Inclusion Goals and Action Items with extant and incoming leaders during New Leader Orientation, Board meetings, and other onboarding activities
• Action Item: Starting in 2017, encourage and act as necessary to ensure a culture of education and inclusion in all activities of the Board, Standing Committees, Ad Hoc Committees and Interest Groups
• Action Item: Starting in 2018, incorporate unconscious bias training for incoming leaders during New Leader Orientation

IV. AWARDS

A. Goal: By 2020, ensure that recipients of annual awards better represent the breadth of membership diversity

• Action Item: Starting in 2017, determine metrics for measuring the diversity of the candidate pool for awards
• Action item: Starting in 2018, create focused action plan for recruitment of candidates for awards (This may include modifying the member profile page to include optional selections for race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, mental or physical abilities, age, gender identity or expression, and sexual orientation, per Goal I.A.3.)
• Action Item: Starting in 2018, require committees to provide evidence of applicant pool diversity using metrics from Action Item 1
• Action Item: Starting with the Spring 2018 Board of Directors meeting, provide an annual applicant pool diversity report to Board Members for review and direction

B. Goal: By 2019, establish new award categories for early- and mid-career that recognize members beyond the current AAA lifetime achievement awards

• Action Item: Starting in 2018, establish new award categories that better reflect the diversity of scholarly activity, professional development, and career stage of the membership, possibly including:
• Rising Star Award – given to an early career anatomist (untenured) demonstrating excellence in educational scholarship, research scholarship, or service to the association
• Super Mentor Award – given to an excellent mentor at any career stage
• Public Engagement/Science Communicator Award – given to a member at any career stage demonstrating excellence in public outreach and/or science communication for the public
• Diversity Outreach Award – given to a member who demonstrates excellence in activities to increase representation of individuals from diverse and underrepresented groups within AAA members, with regard to race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, mental or physical ability, age, gender identity or expression, and sexual orientation

V. COMMUNICATIONS

A. Goal: By 2018, all AAA leaders and members are informed with regard to the goals, actions, and outcomes of the AAA’s diversity and inclusion activities

• Action Item: Starting in 2017, solicit Board, Committee Chair, and Member input into the Goals and Action Items, in part through Anatomy Connected and in part through the 2017 Strategic Planning Retreat
• Action Item: Starting in 2017, ensure that the Goals and Action Items are included in some fashion in the AAA Strategic Plan for 2018-2021
• Action Item: Starting in 2017, communicate the finalized Goals and Action Items to members and potential members through the AAA website and Newsletter
• Action Item: Starting in 2018, track progress on Action Items and communicate to Board and Membership at least annually

B. Goal: Demonstrate to the wider scientific and educational communities the opportunities for careers in the Anatomical Sciences

• Action Item: Starting in 2017, ensure that each Regional Meeting includes Outreach activities and follow-up messages describing AAA activities and benefits of membership
• Action Item: Starting in 2018, identify members at tribal colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and historically black colleges and universities and determine their interest in hosting a Regional Meeting
• Action Item: Starting in 2018, actively solicit and communicate at least two newsletter articles per year describing the careers and impact of individuals from underrepresented groups
• Action Item: Starting in 2018, use newsletter articles to highlight outreach activities relating to community colleges; tribal colleges and universities; Hispanic-serving institutions; and historically black colleges and universities

VI. OUTREACH

A. Goal: Foster an inclusive environment by increasing accessibility for and engagement of individuals, underrepresented groups, and institutions

• Action Item: Starting in 2017, intentionally target members from community colleges; tribal colleges and universities; Hispanic-serving institutions; and historically black colleges and universities, to participate in Regional and National Meetings
• Action Item: Starting in 2018, actively recruit for Committee service from Hispanic-serving institutions, historically black colleges and universities, and tribal colleges and universities
• Action Item: By 2018, determine metrics for measuring the effectiveness of efforts to secure a diverse candidate pool for Committees, and communicate outcomes to Committees and the Board (e.g. diversity of applicant pool, as well as diversity of candidates selected)
• Action Item: By 2019, develop a program to provide funding to support travel/research activities in Anatomy by trainees from underrepresented groups

B. Goal: Increase outreach by AAA members to create a welcoming environment and to serve as champions and role models for AAA engagement and career development for members from underrepresented groups

• Action Item: Starting in 2017, include diversity and inclusion principles and content in newcomer events and activities at Regional and National conferences, and develop a system for continued communication with these prospective and new members (e.g. making use of the mentoring program and Anatomy Connected platform)
• Action Item: Starting in 2018, provide leader mentoring in diversity and inclusion for new member leaders
• Action Item: Starting in 2018, develop AAA communications that include personalized testimonials and messages in support of diversity and inclusion directed to prospective and current member leaders

DEI Resources

Advocacy

• Statement Against Racism (June 2020)

Recorded Webinars

The following are available to members only in our webinar archives (login required):

• In Conversation: Eliminating Sexual Harassment of Women in STEM (June 2020)
• Who's Taking Care of the Third Shift? Balance and Inequality During a Pandemic (June 2020)
• Do you count in AAA? (May 2019)
• Unconscious Bias and Our Work (October 2018)

Further Reading

• Anatomy Now Weekly special focus issue: diversity in STEM (September 2020)
• AAMC Anti-racism in Medicine Collection (August 2020) 
• ADA Turns 30: Disability Resources (July 2020)
• Diversity at the Podium, reflections from Student/Postdoc Board Member Diana Rigueur
• All of Us: Importance of Diversity, a short video on the NIH Director’s Blog (May 2018)
• Read Loydie Jerome-Majewska’s reflections of attending SACNAS National Diversity in STEM conference (November 2017)
• New Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Diversity Chief Shares His Vision (May 2017)

The Members Behind DEI

The Diversity and Inclusion Task Force was convened in 2016 to oversee and shepherd initiatives related to diversity and inclusion within the organization. It was granted ad hoc committee status in 2019 and renamed the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee.

Visit our Committees page to:

• See who serves on DEI
• What the committee’s charge is
• How to get involved