Diversity and Anti-Racism

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WELCOME

 

THE USC DIVISION OF BIOKINESIOLOGY AND PHYSICAL THERAPY EMBRACES DIVERSITY, anti-racism, and inclusion and emphasizes the importance of these core values across our Division including how we partner with and support the greater Los Angeles community.

DIVISION-WIDE COMPREHENSIVE ANTI-RACISM PLAN

Between June and October of 2020, Division faculty, staff, and students developed a comprehensive anti-racism plan that identifies achievable actions that we can take across our educational, research, and clinical programs. This plan will be utilized for the 2020-2021 academic year. It will be re-evaluated and updated each academic year to identify future actions we can take to become a multicultural anti-racist organization.

See the Plan

DIVERSITY, ANTI-RACISM, INCLUSION, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COUNCIL

The Diversity, Anti-Racism, Inclusion, and Community Engagement (DARIC) Council guides the Division’s strategic priorities to foster diversity in the recruitment and retention of our students, staff, and faculty; provide an inclusive, anti-racist environment where all members of the community are valued and feel welcomed;  and to promote population health equity.

KEY PRIORITIES

  • Engage the USC BKN & PT community in the recruitment, retention, and advancement of diverse faculty, staff, and students.
  • Nurture a culture within the Division that actively identifies, challenges, and changes institutional policies, practices, and procedures that perpetuate systemic racism.
  • Promote a sense of belonging and respect for all.
  • Provide mechanisms for students, staff, and faculty to seek support when they are confronted with biased attitudes and behaviors.
  • Enhance health outcomes by partnering with the surrounding community to inform the work of the Division.

COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP

The membership of the council consists of the following:

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION YEAR IN REVIEW

 
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Black Lives Matter protesters after the death of George Floyd
 

USC PHYSICAL THERAPY MULTICULTURAL LEADERSHIP ALLIANCE

The USC Physical Therapy Multicultural Leadership Alliance (PTMLA) is a student-run organization striving to raise awareness about physical therapy as a profession and healthcare service. The leadership and service opportunities afforded through outreach events and educational programs at local schools are enriching for both the students and communities involved. PTMLA is active in serving global communities in need and promoting awareness of PT as a profession in the local community. With more than 10 years of history at USC, its members have grown from being leaders in the classroom to being leaders in the health care field.

MISSION STATEMENT

“Promote cultural competency within the Physical Therapy profession through educational programming, service learning, fundraising and advocacy for PT as a career option. Through acceptance, fun learning environment, and support, PTMLA members will gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to be cultural experts within the PT profession.”

Follow USC PTMLA on Social Media:

@uscptmla
@uscptmla

Learn more about USC PTMLA

STUDENT AFFINITY GROUPS

Asian Pacific Islander Student Affinity Group

The Asian Pacific Islander Student Affinity Group is a group dedicated to promoting knowledge regarding the Asian Pacific Islander experience to all USC BKNPT students, faculty and alumni.

We hope to provide group members with knowledge, networking opportunities, mentorship connections and community during our open group discussions about current events/history and hosting speakers.

If you are interested in joining our email list, click here to add your name.

Faculty Advisor:

Jonathan Sum
sum@pt.usc.edu

Student Leaders:

Gary Chen
gjchen@usc.edu

Jeanne Huynh
jeannehu@usc.edu

Paul Kim
eung@usc.edu

Emily Moon
moonemil@usc.edu

Emma Wong
emmawong@usc.edu

Black Student Affinity Group

The Black Students Affinity Group is a student led group that provides a safe space for Black students within the Division. Our meetings serve as a place for Black students to build a supportive community as well as share challenges that others in the group can identify with and provide support and resources for. Additional benefits to the group include opportunities for leadership, mentorship and encouraging Black students and allies to make positive change within our Division and communities.

Faculty Advisors:

James Finley
jmfinley@usc.edu

Didi Matthews
dillibe@usc.edu

Student Leaders:

Jason Tabor
jatabor@usc.edu

Olivia Porter
oporter@usc.edu

Caregiver Affinity Group

The Caregiver Affinity Group is a student-led group with an open invitation for individuals within the USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy (students, faculty, staff) who, along with managing school/career/self, have a stake in caregiving for another person. Caregiving can take many forms, for example, care for children, older adults, and significant others. The purpose of the affinity group is to provide a safe space for caregivers and their partners to develop a community of inquiry around the important aspects of caregiving, provide support for each other and offer an outlet for stress management. In addition, the Caregiver Affinity Group will strive to provide advocacy when issues arise within the Division that affect caregivers and their families.

Faculty Advisors:

Michael Anderson
manderse@pt.usc.edu

Claire Nguyen
claire.nguyen@pt.usc.edu

Student Leader:

Lauren Greeves
lgreeves@usc.edu

International Students and Allies Affinity Group

The goal of the International Students and Allies Affinity Group (ISAAG) is to create a multicultural community for international students to share, inquire and support each other as they pursue their educational, professional and personal goals at the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy at USC. Our group comprises students, post-docs, staff and faculty who are non-residents, residents and citizens. We will provide a safe space for international students and allies to discuss topics such as immigration, English as a second language, inclusion and living in the United States.

Faculty Advisors:

Kornelia Kulig
kulig@pt.usc.edu

Natalia Sanchez
natalia.sanchez@pt.usc.edu

Student Leader:

Sara Almansori
salmanso@usc.edu

Latinx Student Affinity Group

 

Faculty Advisors:

Valerie Dimas
vdimas@pt.usc.edu

Marisa Perdomo
perdomo@pt.usc.edu

Student Leader:

Alberto Galvan
galvanal@usc.edu

LGBTQQIA+ Student Affinity Group

The LGBTQQIA+ Affinity Group provides a closed space for members of the Division who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual or as a member of another minoritized gender identity or sexual orientation. We meet to support each other, explore ways to improve culture and inclusivity in the Division and have fun! We also host open sessions for allies to join us in these discussions.

Faculty Advisors:

Michael Rowley
kmichaelrowley@pt.usc.edu

Pamela Mikkelsen
pamela.mikkelsen@pt.usc.edu

Student Leader:

Justin Tong
justinto@usc.edu

Middle Eastern Student Affinity Group

 

The Middle Eastern Affinity Group is a Division organization run by students that seeks to provide a safe and informative community for people of Middle Eastern ethnicity and/or affiliation to discuss their cultural experiences, concerns and opportunities regarding being a student, alumnus, faculty member or staff member at USC and in the US.  Of particular interest is how these experiences shape physical therapy practice, education and research.

To date the group has explored the following topics:

  • Cultural similarities and differences
  • Our diverse ethnic backgrounds
  • Systemic racism and injustice towards our ethnic groups
  • Frustrations, challenges, and experiences in life, academia, and in the clinical setting
  • Ideas about how to move forward and improve life for us as middle easterners in society and in the academic setting
  • Establish faculty/alumni-student mentorship relationships

Faculty Advisor:

George Salem
gsalem@pt.usc.edu

Student Leader:

Leana Mosesian
mosesian@usc.edu

Students Exploring Anti-Racism Community Huddle (SEARCH)

SEARCH exists for students to explore, process and learn in an interactive and reflective manner on how to be better allies and advocates in the pursuit of being anti-racist. These discussions are intended to stimulate personal growth by creating a safe place to progress as well as explore what it looks like to be increasingly anti-racist as an individual, a DPT student, a healthcare provider, as well as a member of our local, national and global community. The intention is to give primarily White and non-Black persons the opportunity to discuss race and our role in equality and equity without overburdening our Black peers, but all are welcome. We hope to augment the work of Black, Indigenous AND People of Color by uplifting and supporting PTMLA and other student affinity groups.

Faculty Advisor:

Elle Bottrell
bottrell@usc.edu

Student Leaders:

Josh Limlingan
jlimling@usc.edu

Connor Munro
cmunro@usc.edu

Carly Post
carlypos@usc.edu

USC-XULA EARLY ASSURANCE PROGRAM

USC has partnered with Xavier University of Louisiana, a historically Black university, to create a pipeline for promising students interested in entering the field of physical therapy.

Once accepted into the program, XULA students will receive mentorship from USC faculty members as well as summer opportunities to gain research and clinical experience.

After graduating from XULA, Early Assurance Program students will be admitted to USC’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program, given they’ve completed all program requirements, including maintaining a 3.2 GPA and completing all prerequisite courses and required clinical experience hours.

Click here for more information about our Early Assurance Program.

USC-XULA Frequently Asked Questions

USC Program Contact: Terry Richardson II

ENROLLMENT OF UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES (URM) IN USC DPT PROGRAM

Nearly 80 percent of the physical therapy profession is Caucasian, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is our goal to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in the profession, mirroring the societal makeup of the patients we treat. The following show how our efforts compare to U.S. national averages.

Entry Year Students Enrolled (#) American Indian Black Hispanic Total URM Percentage URM All US Programs
2010 95 0 1 2 3 3% 8%
2011 94 0 5 8 13 14% 8%
2012 96 1 3 5 9 9% 9%
2013 97 4 7 9 20 21% 7.5%
2014 95 1 7 7 15 16% 8%
2015 97 0 7 13 20 21% 8%
2016 96 0 7 17 24 25% 9%
2017 100 1 8 21 30 30% 10%
2018 145 1 4 18 23 16% 10%
2019 145 1 11 29 41 28% 11%
2020 149 3 11 27 41 28% Data Not Yet Available
5-Yr Avg. 127 1.2 8.2 22.4 31.8 25.4%

 

 

BIAS INCIDENT REPORTING

We take bias, bigotry and hate very seriously and want every member of our community to feel welcome and safe. We encourage all community members who have witnessed or experienced a bias incident to report it. You may do so by following the link below. Your report can be completely anonymous (we do not even track IP addresses) if you would like. You can include your name and contact information, if you would like a follow-up. Your report will be directed to the Chair of the Diversity, Anti-Racism, Inclusion and Community Engagement Council. Note: If you have witnessed a crime, or feel you are in immediate danger, please contact the USC Department of Public Safety at (323) 442-1000 for emergencies and (323) 442-1200 for non-emergencies.

Bias Incident Reporting Form

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Below find all upcoming events from here at the Division as well as across USC pertaining to issues related to diversity and anti-racism.

No scheduled events.