The Health Equity in the Curriculum Committee and the Central Curricular Authority are committed to providing Stritch students with a curriculum that is inclusive and free of bias.  We welcome both positive and concerning reports of bias and inclusion in the curriculum through the process outlined below.

REPORTING GUIDELINES ON BIAS AND INCLUSION

It is appropriate to report to the HECC when:

• There is concern for bias within a lecture, seminar, small group, or course as a whole
• There is a gap in the material provided to students, thus creating an educational environment that may exacerbate health inequities
• There is a missed opportunity for inclusiveness
• There is a positive example of bias-free and inclusive materials that can help inform best practices

When it is NOT appropriate to report to the HECC:

• Instances that are not related to bias within the curriculum
• Instances that are interpersonal. If the behavior you witnessed or experienced involved unwanted sexual advances, offensive sexist, racist, ethnic, or gender-based remarks, then these need to be acted upon as soon as possible. These behaviors fall under Gender-Based Misconduct and Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act and can be reported using Ethics Reporting Hotline Web Site. If the behavior you witnessed or experienced involved, for example, public embarrassment, harassment, humiliation, or other behaviors contributing to an unsafe learning environment, they can be reported using the Professionalism Concern Reporting Form. Guidance on professionalism in reporting:
• Please proof-read your report before submission
• Please ensure that the content of your report is focused on something you observed
• Describe what could have been done differently or your recommendation for remediating the bias
• Please reflect on the difference between a curriculum concern and interpersonal concern. Interpersonal concerns should be reported with the links provided above.
  • Note for those on clinical rotations: Didactic sessions (including lectures and small groups) are considered part of the formal curriculum and therefore under the purview of the HECC. In contrast, concerns regarding bias encountered in the clinical setting are not necessarily within the realm of the HECC and may be better addressed through an interpersonal report as outlined above.

FORMAT OF REPORT

Please provide the following:

• Name, class, date
• Context of concern including name of course or clerkship and specific session (e.g. lecture, small group discussion, handout, etc. Including date and recording link as able)
• Details about the concern (e.g. minute marker of lecture recording, lecture slide, or screenshot of instance)
• Proposal explaining how the concern can be rectified in future sessions. Constructive feedback is necessary.
• In the case of a positive or best practice report, please include a brief description of how this can be replicated in other settings

Email to report: HECC@luc.edu 

How will the HECC utilize this information?

• The HECC meets every month to discuss bias and health inequities within the curriculum. Reports will be reviewed by the committee monthly or more urgently when appropriate.
• Actions taken by HECC will include feedback and faculty development so that the material can be revised prior to the next presentation to students.
• Although these reports are not anonymous, confidentiality is protected and maintained throughout this reporting process.
• We do not allow for anonymity because the committee may need to request further details from the reporter and may engage with the reporter in creating an appropriate solution.

Thank you for taking the time to critically engage with the Stritch School of Medicine curriculum.