Diversity and inclusiveness in education
In 2023 we continued to work on making education at UMC Utrecht even more diverse and inclusive. Our actions included:
Knowledge about implicit prejudices through bias training
A total of 760 colleagues followed a bias-training course in the period from 2020 to 2023. In 2023 there were 275. The purpose of this training is to give participants who are involved in education insight into the concept of bias and possible consequences it may have for education. In 2023 we also studied the impact of the training. This showed that following the training, participants knew more about and were better able to recognize and explain implicit prejudices. Participants also indicated that they were better able to think of solutions for their own implicit biases. We further developed a new (further) training course called ‘Active Bystander’, which we are offering for the first time starting March 2024. The aim is for these courses to become a permanent offer at UMC Utrecht. They will fall under our P&O department.
Sense of Belonging expanded
A culture in which everyone feels that they belong, are appreciated, and have the opportunity to grow through open, equal, and inspired education. This is an important goal for UMC Utrecht and Utrecht University. In 2022, together with Utrecht University, we sent out a questionnaire to students to find out to what extent they felt able to be themselves and have a sense of belonging. More than 4,000 students filled in the questionnaire. The results of this ‘belonging survey’ were published in 2023 on our internal Belonging@UU dashboard. The dashboard also gives students and lecturers practical information for example on how they can contribute to a place where everyone feels that they belong and can be themselves. In addition, we developed a welcome program for new students and a workshop for lecturers on the principles of ‘pedagogical caring’ in higher education, to further increase the sense of belonging among students.
First-years well underway with the K.I.C.K start program
For any first-year student, the beginning of their studies is a stressful time. Some students need a bit of extra footing to start their studies with greater confidence (for instance: first-generation students, and students who for whichever reason feel a bit different from other students). With the two-day summer bridging program, students can get a clearer picture of their study environment, support options, and expectations. In September 2023, fifty Medical and Biomedical Sciences students took part in the K.I.C.K start program .
Education for refugee students
In the summer of 2023 we started with a revised edition of the education program for refugee students . Based on input from former participants (summer 2022), we improved the education program for refugee students. This year for example we paid more attention to the integration of participants in departments, working in Dutch healthcare, and giving and receiving feedback.
