Grounding for Adaptive Capacity Building
The purpose of this page is to lay the groundwork for Adaptive Capacity Building (i.e. training opportunities) that the ODEI Learning & Development team provides for the UMN Medical School community, which includes faculty, staff, students, fellows, residents, and other community partnerships. We ask that participants in our sessions review this content to grasp our intentions within the learning environment that we will engage in together.
Grounding Assumptions for Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice
Below is a list of grounding assumptions generated by numerous, well-known scholars and activists. We encourage learners to read through these carefully and consider how they relate to you in your learning around equity, diversity, and social justice. They are helpful assumptions to carry with you into conversations with others, in your own self-reflection, and in general as a tool for your equity and diversity learning journey. If you have any questions about these grounding assumptions, please complete this feedback form.
- The work of equity and diversity is about creating community, which involves building trust through careful listening, respectful disagreement, and taking risks.
- It’s not all our fault, but it is our responsibility.
- Growth and learning can be uncomfortable.
- Practice self-awareness. Reflect thoughtfully on your knowledge, experiences, and identities.
- Show what you’re learning, not what you already know.
- Leave room for both/and/all.
- Just because you are, doesn’t mean you know everything. Just because you’re not, doesn’t mean you don’t know anything. We can all contribute.
- There are no quick fixes, and we need to expect and accept non-closure.
- Self-work, healing, and self-love are necessary for the acceptance of others.
- Social justice work must happen at the individual, socio-cultural, and institutional levels.
- Individuals and organizations DO grow and change. There is HOPE.
(Brown, Obear, Washington)
Psychological Safety & Holding Space
“Psychological safety is a condition in which you feel included, safe to learn, safe to contribute, and safe to challenge the status quo—all without fear of being embarrassed, marginalized, or punished in some way… When psychological safety is high, people take more ownership and release more discretionary effort, resulting in higher-velocity learning and problem solving” (Clark).
“Holding space means to be with someone without judgment. To donate your ears and heart without wanting anything back. To practice empathy and compassion. To accept someone's truth, no matter what they are. To allow and accept. Embrace with two hands instead of pointing with one finger. To come in neutral. Open. For them. Not you. Holding space means to put your needs and opinions aside and allow someone to just be” (Kim). Remember that diversity is a fact; inclusion is a choice.
It is our responsibility as facilitators to model psychological safety within the learning environment. We ask participants to practice the art of building psychological safety within and around themselves. No one learner is on the same path toward understanding and developing a sense of diversity, equity, and inclusion. By creating psychologically safe spaces, we hold space for everyone to learn and participate.
Cultural Humility
“Cultural humility is a process of reflection to gain a deeper understanding of cultural difference in order to improve the way vulnerable people are treated and researched. Cultural humility does not focus on competence or confidence and recognizes that the more you are exposed to cultures different from your own, you often realize how much you don’t know about others. That is where humility comes in… Humility requires courage and flexibility” (Yeager & Bauer-Wu).
Although we as facilitators are responsible for creating learning opportunities and facilitating sessions with the UMN Medical School community, we believe our work requires us to reject the label of expert. Our responsibilities require us to constantly reflect on our own identities and those of our learners, and to thoughtfully consider how positionality impacts each session and its subject matter. These efforts are part of the perpetual learning necessary to create inclusive environments, celebrate diversity, and work towards an equitable future.
The Scope of Equity & Diversity
Equity and Diversity is fundamental to everything we do at the University of Minnesota. When we combine issues of inequity and social injustices, both historically and currently, and apply it to ways in which we are socially diverse, we can focus on communities that have been the most impacted by oppression, discrimination, and bias. Therefore, it is our responsibility as an institution to serve and support the following current and historically marginalized individuals and groups at the University of Minnesota: People of Color, American Indians and Indigenous Populations, New Immigrant Populations, People with Disabilities and Disabled Communities, Women, 2SLGBTQIA+ Individuals and Communities, First-Generation Students, and People from marginalized Socio-Economic Classes. We also address issues of access and climate for individuals who might encounter barriers based on their religious expression, age, national origin, ethnicity, size, or veteran status. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list.
Additionally, the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) “works to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles across the continuum of medical education.” The AAMC has identified several pillars to guide the action of individuals, organizations, and communities. More information on how we can advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in medical education can be found here.
Trigger/Content Warning
When learning and engaging in discussions about equity, diversity, and social justice, we are also learning and discussing difficult topics that can relate to our own or others’ experiences with bias, stereotypes, harassment, discrimination, and violence. As instructors and facilitators, we will not always know what may trigger or activate strong emotions for others or even ourselves. To help prepare our learners to engage with educational content, we provide general content and trigger warnings for all readings, videos, and discussions. We also ask and invite everyone to do their best in supporting and taking care of ourselves and each other.
“A trigger is anything that sets you off emotionally and activates memories of your trauma. It is particular to you and what your experience has been. Triggered, we revert to the feelings and behaviors we had in the traumatizing situation” (Lee Cori).
For self-learning activities, we suggest that you take your time reading and watching the videos. Also, feel free to pass on a topic, reading, or video that you know may be triggering or activating for you. During our online Group Discussions, facilitators will do their best to navigate triggers and activations with you, as they come up. We encourage learners to practice self care in ways that work best for you. Additionally, we welcome learners to take a break, mute their video and/or microphone when needed. You are welcome to connect with facilitators before, during, or after the discussion.
Our goal is for learners to lean into places of discomfort to facilitate learning. However, we do not want learners to feel unsafe or unwelcome. If, at any point, you are feeling unsafe or unwelcome, please complete this feedback form. Also, please visit the University of Minnesota Safe Campus | Personal Wellbeing webpage to access related resources around trauma and mental health support.
Additional Resources
Commitments & Acknowledgements
Read our Medical School Diversity Statement and Land Acknowledgements.
Read our Mission, Vision, and Values to gain a clearer understanding of who we are and why we believe in what we do.
DEI Department Representatives
Learn about who within your department represents DEI leadership.
Language is evolutionary and barriers can arise when misunderstandings arise. This (non-comprehensive) list of DEI terms can help clarify what we work to achieve and for whom.
Learn more about ways to grasp the continuous nature of DEI with our highlighted selections on articles, podcasts, books, and other media.
Learn more from leading scholars and practitioners about how diversity, equity, and inclusion impact work in medical research and practice.
Complete this feedback form so that we can support your learning and development.
Sources
American Association of Medical Colleges. (2024). Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in medical education. https://www.aamc.org/about-us/equity-diversity-inclusion/advancing-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-medical-education
Brown, A. (2024). https://www.iambrown.org/
Clark, T. (2020). The 4 stages of psychological safety. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Kim, J. (2019 October 29). What does it mean/look like to hold space for someone? Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-angry-therapist/201910/what-does-it-meanlook-hold-space-someone
Lee Cori, J. (2008). Healing from trauma: a survivor’s guide to understanding your symptoms and reclaiming your life. Da Capo Lifelong Books.
Obear, K. (2024). https://drkathyobear.com/
Washington, J. (2020). Engage us. The Washington Consulting Group. https://washingtonconsultinggroup.net/engage-us
Yeager, K. A., & Bauer-Wu, S. (2013). Cultural humility: Essential foundation for clinical researchers. Applied Nursing Research, 26(4), 251–256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2013.06.008