Updates

We appreciate our community’s commitment to growing their skills as we continue to build and sustain a positive climate at WashU Medicine.

Among the recent implementations are the rollout of a single “front door” for reporting unprofessional or inappropriate behaviors via the Supporting a Fair Environment (SAFE) program’s online portal.

Because improving leadership behaviors is critical to improving our overall climate and culture and will benefit learners, staff and faculty, many of the recommendations the Task Force is implementing are aimed at enhancing the leadership skills of faculty leaders.

The Implementation Task Force has met monthly since January to begin prioritizing and implementing the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate & Culture. Three of these recommendations have been implemented to date, and several others are in process.

In December, when the Executive Faculty Task Force on Climate & Culture completed its year-long assessment of our learning and academic environments, an Implementation Task Force was established to set priorities for moving forward with the recommendations and to oversee their implementation.

Thanks to your participation, the Task Force has completed the first phase of this work. Today, we are pleased to share two reports that detail the results of the Task Force’s work. Our goal is to improve and sustain a culture where everyone is safe, supported and welcome.

As we complete our report to release next month, our Task Force leadership — Benjamin Garcia, PhD, Dineo Khabele MD, and Renée Shellhaas, MD — would like to take a moment to reflect on our experiences during the past year.

We’d like to share input on why this work matters from Task Force members Rakhee Bhayani, MD, and Lisa Tabor Connor, PhD, MSOT, OTR/L. In addition, we share an opportunity for our community to provide feedback on the proposed new framework for naming and renaming university buildings, professorships, and other features.

Throughout the fall, the Task Force is continuing our work to distill your input and shape recommendations to improve and sustain a culture of safety and inclusion. We’d also like to take this time to introduce you to some of the Task Force members who have devoted valuable time and insight throughout this process. This month we’re sharing a brief Q&A with our student representatives.

As summer winds down and we prepare for the entering class of 2023 to join our community, the Task Force on Climate & Culture is reminded of how crucial it is for all of our faculty, staff, students and trainees to be welcomed, safe and valued on campus.

Thank you for sharing your feedback! Your experiences, perspectives and opinions will help inform our efforts to create a more inclusive environment. Now that the focus groups, community discussions and survey have ended, we want to let you know of our next steps.

This survey is a critical part of the Task Force’s efforts to identify what aspects of the WashU Medicine culture are strong and where we need to focus our efforts for improvement. Our aim is to improve and then sustain a culture of safety and inclusion here. Your input in this survey will help move us closer to where we all need and want to be.

In early June, all faculty, staff, students and trainees at the School of Medicine will receive a survey thattake about 15 minutes to complete. Your response will help us see where the WashU Medicine culture is strong and where we need to focus our efforts for improvement.

The formal kickoff with Catalyst, an external consulting group, begins this month with data gathering, interviews, and access to the Catalyst Supporter Network for School of Medicine faculty, staff, students and trainees. In addition, Community Discussion Sessions are now underway.

There are two key areas of progress to report this month. The first is the selection of an external consulting group named Catalyst, that will provide expert guidance to the Task Force. Additionally, the Task Force has established a series of listening sessions that will be led by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.