Policy on Diversity

Penn Dental Medicine Policy on Diversity

The administration of Penn Dental Medicine adopts in principle and practice the following policy on diversity:

The University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine continues to implement strategies that follow the vision of Penn’s founder Benjamin Franklin, which is that the diversity of our university reflects the diversity of the world around it and of the world we want our students to lead. Diversity fosters innovation by bringing together persons of different cultures and experiences, which is critical to expanding our knowledge base. Through recruitment and retention initiatives, the School of Dental Medicine will continue to diversify its academic community. This definition includes but is not limited to diversity in race, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religion, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizen status, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally-protected class. Diversity remains a core value and as such is embraced by our community.

The University of Pennsylvania rejoices in the rich diversity of our faculty, staff and students. We are committed to fostering and nourishing those individuals of different backgrounds and experiences and this must remain central to the core mission of the School of Dental Medicine. We are charged with advancing our scientific research, our community’s healthcare and dental education. The key to continued success lies in our ability to attract, retain and nurture the best and brightest in our field regardless of background.

Building a critical mass of diversity within our faculty, staff, and student populations and patient community requires that we foster a culture of inclusion, mutual trust and respect. The School of Dental Medicine recognizes that achieving a diverse population is an ongoing commitment and must be continually monitored and carefully reviewed. To this end, we continue to support strong and active student groups on our campus and innovative programs that enable our entire faculty staff and student body to feel welcome, supported and have equal access to networks for mentoring and research. Supporting a superb, inclusive community is among the University’s highest priorities; by engaging in such support, we can continue our pathway to excellence in all our endeavors.

As affirmed by the University of Pennsylvania»