Justice, Inclusion, and Equity | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

Justice, Inclusion, and Equity

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TTUHSC's Commitment to Justice, Inclusion, and Equity

Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students of our Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Schools,

"There comes a time when silence is betrayal. Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
-- attributed to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and others of the Black community can no longer be ignored. Now is the time that we must be united in our message: at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) Black lives matter.

We must stand together to support and uplift our Black and minority communities that have been plagued by systemic racism and oppression for generations. The painful reminders of the injustices that still divide us have become more apparent.

We must condemn any form of discrimination and racism. We must acknowledge that these are not isolated issues, and we must come together as a community to fight these injustices.

We stand together with our TTUHSC team during this difficult time. When one person in our family hurts, we all hurt. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately hurt minority communities throughout our nation and in our local community. Now, more than ever, we must show the world that TTUHSC can be a beacon of hope not only for our West Texas community but also for the rest of the nation.

We must demonstrate that we will provide loving, compassionate care for all people, but especially for our minority communities. We must and will do better.

We must be able to create an environment where our Black and minority students’ voices can be intensified and strive to create a community where no voice is left unheard.

We will not be silent:

  • We will maintain schools that foster and take care of the most vulnerable in our community.
  • We will be proactive in how we teach our students about the health care disparities that afflict our minority communities.
  • We will continue to train our students and faculty in implicit bias.
  • We will stand in solidarity and be leaders in the fight against injustice and inequality.
  • We will have members of our Student Government Association and representatives of our diverse student organizations meet with local community leaders through our Deans’ offices so their voices can be heard without fear of consequence.

As shared in the message by President Lori Rice-Spearman, Ph.D., in our commitment to treating each other constantly with compassion and respect, we will show the world that we are truly a kindhearted family united as one team in this fight for justice, inclusion, and equity.

School of Medicine
 Dr. Berk Signature Steven Berk, M.D.
Executive Vice President
Dean
 Dr. Morales Signature Felix G. Morales, MD
Associate Dean of Admissions
 Dr. Cobbs Signature Lauren Cobbs, M.D., M.Ed., FACP
Associate Dean for Student Affairs

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
 Dr. Schneider Signature Brandt Schneider, Ph.D.
Dean
 Dr. Blanton Signature Michael Blanton, Ph.D.
Senior Associate Dean

School of Health Professions
 Dr. Sechirst Signature Dawndra Sechrist, OTR, Ph.D.
Dean
 Lindsay Johnson Signature Lindsay R. Johnson, M.Ed.
Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs

School of Nursing
 Dr. Evans Signature Michael Evans, Ph.D., RN, FAAN
TTUHSC Interim Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Dean
 Dr. Chapman Signature Karla J. Chapman, Ph.D.
Associate Dean Admissions, Enrollment Management, Student Affairs

Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy
 Dr. Smith Signature Quentin Smith, Ph.D.
Dean
 Dr. Thekkumkara Signature Thomas Thekkumkara, Ph.D.
Senior Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Admissions

TTUHSC Office of Student Affairs
 Dr. Justyna Signature Erin Justyna, Ph.D.
Assistant Provost