Category Archives: Equity and Inclusion

SJSU Human Rights Institute Moves to CHHS and Hosts Inaugural Event

By: Dr. Michael Dao, Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology

On November 8, 2023, the College of Health and Human Sciences with the San José State Human Rights Institute (HRI), now located in CHHS, partnered with the Santa Clara County Single Payer Coalition to screen the documentary “Healing US,” which compellingly lays out the human, moral and material cases for single-payer health care. The Santa Clara County Single Payer Healthcare Coalition brings community organizations together to organize, energize and educate our community to bring equal and quality healthcare to all people who reside in California.  This documentary details the multifaceted costs associated with the current health care insurance system in the U.S. when one is underinsured.  For example, approximately a half million families will file for bankruptcy this year due to unaffordable medical costs.

As part of the 2023 SJSU Transforming Communities programming, this screening was followed by a panel discussion featuring Kenny Ballentine (Director of Healing US), Dr. Yusra Hussain (Chair, Physicians for a National Health Program South Bay/Silicon Valley Chapter), Ash Kalra (Rep. California’s 25th Assembly District and promoter of healthcare for all), Alissa Shaw (Adjunct Professor, Department of Public Health and Recreation, SJSU) and Ryan Skolnick (Community Organizer at National Nurses United).

The panel discussion was thought-provoking and highlighted the need to promote adequate healthcare for all, especially those on the margins. As the first event of the college’s Human Rights Institute, it launched a focus on health as a human right and health equity. Moving forward, the Human Rights Institute will focus on events and research that broadly centers on health as a human right. Stay tuned for more events from the college and the institute.

CHHS DEI Profile – Dr. Michael Dao

Dr. Michael DaoMichael Dao – Department of Kinesiology

What is your role in your department/school?

I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology

What would you identify as one of the most significant actions you have taken to advance the cause for diversity either in the classroom, your community or your profession?

Probably my attention to include readings from different authorities that represent the diverse classrooms at SJSU. I am attentive to including writers of color, indigenous writers, and women in my syllabus to ensure that students are engaging with a wide variety of voices.

How have you integrated topics of DEI into hiring new faculty and/or admitting students?

I think from the Department of Kinesiology we are very conscious to ensure that our hiring practices are underpinned by DEI initiatives such as highlighting DEI research and teaching from potential candidates and also making sure or job postings are posted on DEI websites

Tell us about how you and why you became attentive to DEI topics. What prompted this change in your department/school?  What did the process look like?

I became attentive as I grew up and became more engaged with critical discussions. I just came to the conclusion that there were historical, social, and systemic reasons for the inequities people face. As such, the university is a good place to start having more conversations to better dismantle these unjust institutions that we work and exist. I find that more departments are slowly realizing our role in the inequities that people face so it’s down to us to start pushing the needle a little. The process is an ongoing one but at least we have more awareness and pay more attention to the topics.

What support did you need to make it happen?  Did you draw on existing resources or examples that were helpful in guiding your change?

Institutional support is key. Having support from your department chair makes it easy to bring up difficult conversations that not all people are ready to engage with. I didn’t really draw from existing resources but I have drawn from the CEED committee and people in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Tell us one book, one article, one documentary, or one movie you’ve read or watched that you would like to suggest to others that helped shape your thinking about DEI work.

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

CHHS DEI Profile – Dr. Shaum Bhagat

Dr. Shaum BhagatShaum Bhagat – Department of Audiology 

What is your role in your department/school?

My role is Professor and Department Chair for the Department of Audiology.

What would you identify as one of the most significant actions you have taken to advance the cause for diversity either in the classroom, your community, or your profession?

The most significant actions I have taken to advance the cause of diversity include participating in mentorship opportunities for a diverse group of young people interested in the professions of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. Through these opportunities, I have met young people and provided guidance concerning future careers in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. I have also been fortunate in having the opportunity to serve as a faculty mentor for students conducting Doctor of Audiology research projects. These opportunities have allowed me to listen and learn from young people interested in our professions, and have been instrumental in shaping my thinking concerning the importance of DEI in the higher education environment.

How have you integrated topics of DEI into hiring new faculty and/or admitting students?

In our department mission statement, we indicate that graduates of our program will be ethical, culturally sensitive, and committed to evidence-based practices. In order to help our students achieve these goals that are a necessity for professional practices in the 21st century, we must integrate DEI topics in recruiting both students and faculty. I have also been influenced by the CHHS mission statement concerning promoting health equity and social justice.  I have contributed to a team-based approach of developing our program using DEI principles in order to provide a welcoming environment for diverse faculty members and students.

Tell us about how and why you became attentive to DEI topics.

As a child from a middle-class family with an immigrant heritage from South Asia, my experiences and those of my family members allowed me to realize that there are health inequities and social injustices that need to be addressed, and it is imperative that solutions are created for these social problems. I believe that there should be equal opportunities for all people to access health care.

Tell us one book, one article, one documentary, or one movie you’ve read or watched that you would like to suggest to others that helped shape your thinking about DEI work. 

If I were to have only one choice, it would be “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The passages from the letter that are particularly inspiring for me include “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”  These words are at the heart of my personal philosophy and remind me that there is much work to be done that requires direct action.

CHHS DEI Profile – Dr. Asha Thomas

Dr. Asha ThomasDr. Asha Thomas – School of Social Work

What is your role in your department/school?

I am the School Coordinator, Undergraduate and Graduate On-Campus advisor at the School of Social Work

What would you identify as one of the most significant actions you have taken to advance the cause for diversity either in the classroom, your community or your profession?

I believe that my strongest and salient contribution to diversity in my profession occurred when I, as a faculty member in a mid-western university, led a group of graduate students to study and work in India. Most of my graduate students participating in the program had not lived or worked in a developing nation.  The primary challenge for the participants was to negotiate cultural differences and barriers. The program also required them to do intense field work in community settings. During the earlier phases of the program, students relied on my help to interpret the complex and unfamiliar Indian culture. The discomfort and vulnerability created by the unfamiliar provided a golden opportunity for the group to reflect on complex issues related to race, LGBTQ rights, economic oppression, political participation etc. Students were able to discuss issues of social justice and marginalization within a comparative framework – India and the US.  I introduced both experiential learning and course-readings on LGBTQ rights, race and housing rights, and the fight for wage equality. Student have provided strong feedback about the inclusiveness of the program and the rich learnings about Indian culture, social structure and politics. In fact, this year I was asked to lead the program again.

How have you integrated topics of DEI into hiring new faculty and/or admitting students?

The School of Social work pays close and careful attention to topics of DEI in our admission process. Prospective applicants are introduced to our Transcultural Perspective during the admission’s informational session. Videos and other material on the TCP are available on the admissions page. Applicants are asked to reflect on various aspects of the TCP in their personal statement.

During the admission review process, the admission committee evaluates the applicants’ responses to the salient aspects of the TCP framework. The TCP emphasizes the importance of culture in social work at all levels of practice; understanding dynamics of power, privilege, and oppression; maintaining an awareness of one’s own cultural perspectives, values, and beliefs; and demonstrating respect in interactions within, among, and between systems. Specifically, the Committee reads for the applicant’s understanding and experiences with diversity and cultural humility in all areas pertaining to social work practice.

Tell us about how you and why you became attentive to DEI topics. What prompted this change in your department/school?  What did the process look like?

This is an interesting question because my response to this might sound cliched. I grew up in India—that sentence right there answers the how and why. The theoretical lens to understand issues of DEI came during my social work training in India (although we never quite used this term—at that time it was oppression and social justice). Our curriculum was strongly focused on Marxism and social justice. The ability to work on the topic during decades long practice with some of the most marginalized communities in India. The work was intense, hard and demanded considerable grit and patience. This led to a doctoral dissertation focused on social movements, the Indian state and tribal rights.

What support did you need to make it happen?  Did you draw on existing resources or examples that were helpful in guiding your change?

I have relied on the support of my colleagues and mentors in this work. Most of my experiences were based on a political rights /community approach to social work. In the US, particularly teaching social work was challenging, and the learning curve was steep. Here the focus is more on individual aspects of identity, and social work tends to focus on what we call micro or mezzo systems. In the School of Social Work, we have strong leadership and commitment to DEI related work.

Tell us one book, one article, one documentary, or once movie you’ve read or watched that you would like to suggest to others that helped shape your thinking about DEI work.

I am not sure if I can call it a DEI book, but a book that shaped my understanding of Civil Rights (and the fight for political inclusion) in the US is “Poor People’s Movements: Why they Succeed and How they Fail” by Piven and Cloward. This book helped me understand the immense potential of community action and organizing to bring about change. It is also a valuable account of the welfare rights movement in the US. Yet, it also cautions the social worker that real change is hard to win and sustain. Clearly, a valuable lesson for everyone that is working in the frontlines of DEI.

CHHS DEI Profile – Bree Casas

Bree CasasBree Casas – The Valley Foundation School of Nursing 

What is your role in your department/school?

I currently am a Senior Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing student. I serve as the President of Public Health Nursing Club; the President of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Student Nurses of Color (BILSNOC); and I serve on the SJSU and State Board of California Nursing Students Association with a goal of promoting DEI and representation for nursing students of color.

What would you identify as one of the most significant actions you have taken to advance the cause for diversity either in the classroom, your community or your profession?

On a large scale, I was recently invited to speak at the National Student Nurses’ Association Convention in Utah (April 2022) on DEI and nursing recruitment for students of color, and I could not be prouder to represent our university and state! On a more local level, at SJSU, my nursing mentee (An Huynh) and I  decided to take a leap at the beginning of the school year with the guidance of Dr. Sheri Rickman-Patrick to start BILSNOC, although we are a small group, those of us that are committed continue to hold a community space for BIPOC Nursing students. I think I have had amazing peers that have been committed to advocating alongside me, which keeps me motivated.

How have you integrated topics of DEI into hiring new faculty and/or admitting students?

Something I have personally discussed and advocated for within our nursing program since my first semester in the program is utilizing a multicriteria selection process that evaluates student potential holistically rather than solely on academic achievement. I know there is a lot of work to be done, but this is a significant reason why I hope to remain involved in academia throughout my career, to ensure our underrepresented students have an equitable chance.

Tell us about how you and why you became attentive to DEI topics. What prompted this change in your department/school?  What did the process look like?

I actually have a B.A. in Sociology from another university and feel that a large part of understanding myself and the many realms I exist within has been through the lens of intersectionality. I think during my time at SJSU it was really the uprising in the Summer of 2020 when George Floyd was murdered and many other BLM protests were arising, that a group of about five students and I collaborated on a list of changes we wanted the nursing administration to implement into curriculum. We discussed this over the span of a few meetings, but change sometimes can be a process when others in positions of leadership may not be ready to implement changes. And when the change didn’t occur at the pace we were comfortable with, a classmate (Lilian Anh) and I decided to implement informal surveys to ask students if they felt they were receiving culturally-informed education.

What support did you need to make it happen?  Did you draw on existing resources or examples that were helpful in guiding your change?

Truly it has been our faculty of color, specifically Black women, that support these causes the most deeply. I am endlessly grateful for the extra time and effort they put into making our university and nursing program a better place (specifically Dr. Michelle DeCoux Hampton, Dr. Sheri Rickman-Patrick, and Dr. Denise Dawkins). At the same time, we need more folks that are allies to engage in this work with us, because this work is taxing especially for BIPOC students and faculty.

Tell us one book, one article, one documentary, or once movie you’ve read or watched that you would like to suggest to others that helped shape your thinking about DEI work.

I would say Punished by Victor Rios and The Autobiography of Malcolm X as Told to Alex Haley by Malcolm X