Diversity and Inclusion, in a More Perfect University

This book tells the story of an office successfully addressing diversity, inclusion and community affairs in a private university in a Midwestern state in the United States of America. It describes what can be achieved when institutional commitment and a true community partnership combine to increase student diversity on campus. For 20 years the dedicated staff of the office of Health Sciences-Multicultural and Community Affairs (HS-MACA) has contributed to the recruitment, retention and graduation of underrepresented and disadvantaged student population.

This book tells the story of an office successfully addressing diversity, inclusion and community affairs in a private university in a Midwestern state in the United States of America. It describes what can be achieved when institutional commitment and a true community partnership combine to increase student diversity on campus. For 20 years the dedicated staff of the office of Health Sciences-Multicultural and Community Affairs (HS-MACA) has contributed to the recruitment, retention and graduation of underrepresented and disadvantaged student population. The office of HSMACA was founded in 2000 and after 20 years of existence continues to effectively impact the "Healthy People 2020 Objectives" by increasing the number of well-trained, diverse health professionals who will provide culturally proficient care to the nation's underserved communities. Since 2000, HSMACA has provided services to more than 10,000 disadvantaged students in the Omaha community through its "pipeline" programs. Our program start with economically, environmentally and/or educationally deprived students in the fourth grade and continue through middle school, high school, college and professional schools. Many alumni are current health care providers, some are still enrolled in health profession schools.

Since 2000, Dr. Sade Kosoko-Lasaki has lead the office of the Health Sciences Multicultural and Community Affairs (HS-MACA) at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.,HS-MACA has programs like the Health Careers Opportunity Program, Post Baccalaureate and Pre-Matriculation Program, Community Oriented Primary Care Program, Center for Promoting Health and Health Equity, Cultural Awareness and health disparities initiatives with a focus on Community-based participatory research. She has built collaborative relationships with the Omaha community and serves as a community/academic leader in the area. Dr. Kosoko-Lasaki also oversees the recruitment of disadvantaged students to the health sciences, and mentors these students to retain them. She has lectured nationally and internationally on cultural proficiency and health disparity issues, focusing on the promotion of pipeline programs that prepare and support disadvantaged students from Grade 4 through health professional schools so they can become successful health care providers. She is passionate about training and educating individuals in developing countries on blindness prevention and Vitamin A deficiency. Dr. Kosoko-Lasaki is a tenured full professor of ophthalmology, preventive medicine and public health at Creighton University. She has a masters degree inpublic health and in business administration.