Health Colleges Student Diversity Services Expands Mission, Changes Name

By Blair Hoover

For many years, University of Kentucky Health Colleges Student Diversity Services (HCSDS) —  a unit under the Office for Institutional Diversity — has been committed to increasing and supporting the diversity of student populations within UK's health colleges community. HCSDS has also provided all health college students, faculty and staff with educational opportunities to engage in meaningful dialogue across cultural differences.

Because of the phenomenal job HCSDS has done in serving their students’ needs, the office and mission of HCSDS are expanding.

HCSDS Director Chassity Holliman-Douglas says this expansion will aid in increasing diversity on campus.

“I am excited that our university has understood the need for an expansion of our services in order to create a more diverse environment than ever before,” Holliman-Douglas said. “Their commitment to this expressed need is what will aid in our current transition as well as continuing to increase the diversity of our campus, so that it more closely resembles society’s makeup.”

While HCSDS will continue its commitment in its full capacity, the office is expanding its mission to provide essential services and educational programming to all graduate and professional students at UK. With this expansion, the office will operate under a new name —  the Center for Graduate and Professional Diversity Initiatives (CGPDI).

“This expansion comes as an answer to the needs and requests for more dedicated support and resources for underrepresented graduate and professional students across the university as well as continuing the institution's commitment toward building a culturally engaging campus environment,” said Holliman-Douglas.

“The expansion of Health Colleges Student Diversity Services to cover all underrepresented graduate and professional students supports the university’s commitment to building a more diverse and inclusive community,” said Interim Vice President for Institutional Diversity Terry Allen, who serves as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for Diversity and Inclusivity at the College of Nursing. “The expansion of the office will also bring about an expansion of staffing as well as space. Additional information in that regard is forthcoming as the transition proceeds.”

CGPDI will focus on the recruitment and retention of underrepresented students in UK's graduate and professional programs as well as the cultural diversity development of all members of the campus community. 

The mission of the CGPDI is to connect students to essential tools and resources, assist the university in promoting academic excellence, build inclusive communities, and support the professional development of underrepresented graduate and professional students, with the ultimate goal of developing leaders in academy, industry, and society.

Holliman-Douglas hopes the expansion will give graduate and professional students a supportive environment and a dedicated space for underrepresented students in all graduate and professional disciplines as students in a recent town hall requested.

“We anticipate the new Center for Graduate and Professional Diversity Initiatives to serve as an additional space where graduate and professional students can thrive in a welcoming and supportive atmosphere, actively engage in dialogue with students from disparate backgrounds, and participate in co-curricular programming to enhance students' academic success, cultural competency, commitment to advocacy, and overall professional development,” said Holliman-Douglas.

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue