July 9, 2020

A statement from Lisa Dolovich, Professor and Dean, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy

The Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy stands with the University of Toronto in denouncing Anti-Black racism and discrimination in all its forms. Black Lives Matter.

I would also like to echo the words of colleagues in pharmacy that together we must do more to enact change both as a profession and for patients. As Dean of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, I will be working to expand and deepen our focus on equity and inclusion as guiding forces for the work we lead and the education we deliver. As our current Academic Plan is coming to a close, we are beginning to lay the groundwork for the next five years and beyond.

Since taking on the role of Dean in February 2020, many of our students, faculty and staff have come forward to advocate for greater efforts in this area. While we have been involved in initiatives to support diversity and inclusion, much more needs to be done including a comprehensive strategy that encompasses faculty, staff and student recruitment, and ways to improve the experience of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) at our Faculty.

What are we doing now?

The Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy is involved in the following initiatives to support the opportunity for students of Indigenous or African ancestry a chance to explore careers in health sciences at the University of Toronto in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine:

We also recognize financial support is important to student success. We have a series of bursaries and awards aimed to help students achieve success. More support is required for students of racialized communities and we are beginning to work with corporate and professional partners to establish new awards in this area.

Members of our leadership team have participated in unconscious bias training delivered by the University of Toronto through a collaboration with the Toronto Initiative for Diversity & Excellence (TIDE). We are working to make this an ongoing and regular opportunity.

These are important efforts and initiatives but more work needs to be done and I am committed to moving new programs forward.

Additional University of Toronto Resources:

We encourage all staff and faculty to visit the Centre for Learning, Leadership & Culture (LLC) for training and development courses such as Understanding your responsibility to preventing racial discrimination & harassment in the work environment available.

If you have any additional resources, ideas or comments, please send to: pharmacy.comms@utoronto.ca

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