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WesternU / Office of Humanism, Equity, and Anti-Racism

Office of Humanism, Equity, and Anti-Racism

WesternU students, faculty, staff, and administration are committed to fostering a culture of respect and equity at all levels and for all people.

HEAR at WesternU

WesternU is committed to cultivating, nurturing, and growing a student body that resembles the diversity of California, Oregon and beyond.

Health Sciences education in general has struggled with overcoming chronic underrepresentation, inequity, and increasing the access and success of students from diverse communities. Through focusing on diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism (the very core of humanism) we attract more students and faculty members from underrepresented groups and prepare our students to care for underserved populations.

WesternU intentionally seeks to educate and grow the diversity of the workforce in the health professions. These efforts will result in generational impact by systematically reducing health inequity in our most underserved communities.

Greetings!

WesternU is creating an environment where all feel like they are welcome and fit into the culture of humanism, equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism. As a private educational institution in the health sciences, we have an immense responsibility to create the conditions, provide the opportunities, to facilitate inquiry into the truth of the multiple identities that every generation brings to the campus, and practice compassion in the service of health equity for all.

Welcome to WesternU!

Suresh Appavoo, EdD (he, him, his)
Vice President for Humanism, Equity, and Anti-Racism

At WesternU, we are at the forefront of being concerned with what our students learn, and we also prepare them to discover who they are, who they can become, and how they can engage in collective, and transformative action with people to fundamentally and positively affect the health futures for every generation.

This preparation is how inclusive excellence for health equity is operationalized, and as such, transforms institutionally shared vision into institutionally shared actions that actualize the lived educational experience equitably for all students.

WesternU HEAR in Action

  • College of Graduate Nursing Receives $1.64 Million Dollar Grant to Increase Nursing Diversity
  • College of Optometry Grad Returns to Navajo Nation as Health Care Provider
  • COMP Students Provide Screenings at Juneteenth Event
  • Podiatric Medicine Provides Foreign-Educated Doctors a Pathway to Practice in the U.S.
  • CVM Veterinarians Provide Valuable Service for Pets of the Homeless
  • WesternU Students, Faculty, and Staff Volunteer at Care Harbor Mega Clinic
  • College of Dental Medicine Receives Federal Grant to Increase Faculty Diversity
  • WesternU Names First Vice President of Humanism, Equity, and Anti-Racism
  • WesternU Board of Trustees $6 Million Endowed Scholarship
  • Each of us at WesternU is an embodiment of humanism and responsible for championing a culture that situates diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism at its humanistic core.

    humanism

    Our Humanistic Values

    These values go hand in hand with our humanistic tradition and our mission to enhance the quality of life in our communities.