Dear Colleagues,

Diversity is vital to UConn Health as we continue to advance medicine academically, clinically, and scientifically. This is why we are excited to announce that Jeffrey Hines, MD, will take the new role of Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) at UConn Health. He joins us from Wellstar, one of the largest not-for-profit, integrated health systems in Georgia.

The CDO position is an important milestone for UConn Health and our schools. The position allows UConn Health to follow in the University’s footsteps of having a leader focused on our health system’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) needs in a time of unprecedented growth. The CDO ensures our professional healthcare community reflects the diverse patient population we serve and the diverse student population we train.

We look forward to Dr. Hines’s leadership in building upon our diversity commitment and efforts. For nearly two decades, UConn Health has led the way in increasing underrepresented groups in medicine. Our Health Career Opportunity programs have been key to diversifying the student bodies for our dental and medical schools. In fact, the U.S. News & World Report recently named UConn School of Medicine as one of the nation’s top-10 medical schools for diversity. We look forward to working with Dr. Hines to build a stronger and more diverse workforce, as well as a more diverse pipeline of healthcare professionals for our state and nation.

Dr. Hines is board certified in Obstetrics /Gynecology with special competence in gynecologic oncology. He earned his Bachelor of Science and medical degree at Brown University and completed his Obstetrics and gynecology residency training at Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center and gynecologic oncology fellowship training at Georgetown University Medical Center. In addition to his expertise in the most up-to-date care for women’s cancer, Dr. Hines brings to UConn Health a wealth of experience in developing DEI strategic plans; implementing frameworks for achieving health excellence through health equity; addressing disparities in healthcare; and in facilitating university and healthcare leaders’ efforts to implement best practices that align diversity and inclusion strategies with core business objectives.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Hines to UConn Health! We know he will make great contributions to our missions.

Sincerely,

Bruce T. Liang, MD
Interim Chief Executive Officer | UConn Health
Dean | UConn School of Medicine
CEO@uchc.edu

Dr. Frank Tuitt
Office for Diversity and Inclusion
VP | Chief Diversity Officer
Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs
franklin.tuitt@uconn.edu

To the UConn Community:

Our differences are one of our greatest strengths, and inclusion is a core value.

Over the past several days our students have shared, through a rally and reports of bias, that our own community is not immune to acts of hate and injustice, including Islamophobia. Students report hearing slurs on campus, discomfort wearing hijabs, and an unwelcoming attitude toward their faith.

Other students have reported experiencing similar things on our campuses in the past, when they felt they were targeted because of some aspect of their identity.

Broadly, these issues are very personal to me. I was born in a country that no longer exists and many members of my family perished during the Second World War. Many others died during the civil war that raged in the former Yugoslavia, and my parents died as refugees. I know what hate can do. And while the examples I cite above are extreme, they have made me sensitive to any act of bias or hate, especially in our own community. My colleagues here at UConn join me in this.

Last semester, the University formed a Bias Action Group under the leadership of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Division of Student Affairs. The Bias Action Group is a new group that will meet every semester to review our bias data, identify trends and concerns, and create programming and messaging that address the real issues present at UConn.

You may remember Dr. Daugherty and Dr. Tuitt wrote to you during the fall semester reviewing all the bias data shared with the university. In that email, they shared that bias occurs on our campuses and that bias behavior harms and insults members of our UConn community. It also reminds us of the need to care for one another, respect identity, and be a global center for learning and scholarship. We will not let the actions of a few define us.

I am happy to hear that the Bias Action Group received a number of applications and will be meeting in the next few weeks. I look forward to their work and, more specifically, to our community more frequently convening to discuss and explore the harm that hate and intolerance cause at UConn.

To be a great university, we must acknowledge when we have more work to do. We must be an institution that always works to address the impact of hateful acts and value the identity and beliefs of others.

That work continues.

Sincerely,

Radenka

UConn is a great university.

But it’s more than that. A top-ranked research institution, with campuses and staff across Connecticut,  built to inspire the global community that is UConn Nation. UConn’s talented students exceed expectations. Our expert researchers, faculty, and alumni drive Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (CIE) for a better tomorrow. We fuel the State’s economy and are committed to benefiting the greater good. This is UConn.

STUDENTS FIRST, UCONN ALWAYS. HUSKIES FOREVER.

Dr. Radenka Maric

Interim President | University of Connecticut
Office of the President: 860.486.2337

radenka.maric@uconn.edu

Twitter: @UConnPresident

Instagram: @UConnPres

Dear Students,

As a member of UConn Muslim Ummah (UCMU), the Black Muslim Association, the UConn Muslim Student Association, UConn Salaam, the UConn Hartford Muslim Student Association, or the Ahlul Bayt Student Association, we wanted to share information about a recent incident on campus and the University’s on-going response.

 On February 22, 2022, the University received a bias referral regarding an incident that occurred on February 21, 2022.  The report indicated that while walking on campus two UConn students, who are members of the Muslim community, had racial slurs directed at them by individuals out of a car window driving by.   We take these concerns seriously and promptly enacted our bias protocol when we received the referral.  That protocol involves a coordinated response effort on the part of multiple University staff and offices.

When the University receives a report of an act of bias, the incident is shared with the Office of Community Standards, UConn Police, and the Dean of Students Office. Each report is managed on a case-by-case basis and actions are taken as appropriate. The actions include:

• identifying and providing support to impacted parties,
• reviewing the incident to determine possible violations of the law and/or student code of conduct,
• determining action steps to educate the impacted community and work to repair harm.

Today, February 23, 2022, the students identified in the report were contacted and offered support by the Associate Dean of Students and the UConn Police. The UConn Police are investigating the incident. Staff from the Dean of Students Office and the Office for Diversity and Inclusion will work together to provide support for students impacted by this incident. As the referral impacted a faith community, the University Faith liaison has notified the advisor for the respective community. Working together, UConn is committed to supporting our students directly impacted by this incident and continues to seek opportunities to broadly engage our community.

Our goal is always to engage in efforts which seek to remedy and resolve the impact of hateful speech. As a community, we must continue to work together to stand up for one another and support faith expression at UConn.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you or your organization need additional support while the investigation process continues.

 

Maureen Armstrong

Associate Dean of Students/Director, Dean of Students Office

Dean of Students Office

University of Connecticut

233 Glenbrook Rd, U-4062

Storrs, CT 06269-4062

860-486-3426 (phone)

860-486-1972 (fax)

https://dos.uconn.edu

 

Joseph P. Briody, Ph.D.

Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs & Executive Director of Student Activities

University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT

860.486.8151