Program Highlights : School of Health Sciences : Simmons College

The Certificate in Diversity Management comprises a series of modules that address requisite competencies identified by the planning partners (Simmons and the American Hospital Association's Institute for Diversity in Healthcare Management), accompanied by two online forums that run throughout the program. The modules will be completed in approximately 9 months (September to mid-May) and will be conducted primarily online, to accommodate professionals' schedules.

The Diversity/Disparity Action Plan (described in the curriculum section) should be submitted by the following September. There are three onsite residencies of several days each, at the beginning, middle, and end of the program. During the final residency of one cohort (September), graduates will present their Diversity/Disparity Action Plans to the incoming participants.

One of the key elements of this program is the above action plan, a roadmap for the substantial change needed to address disparity and diversity issues in each participant's institution and community. This plan provides the context for the modules; serves as the major integrating activity during the program; gives evidence of participants' progress; and is a deliverable of value to the home institution.

Participants begin by identifying their institution's strategy and evaluating the alignment of diversity initiatives with strategy. That serves as the baseline for what will become the action plan. As they progress, they are expected to rethink radically the ways in which diversity is manifested, is understood, is addressed, and disparities are resolved. The emerging action plan is enriched by that learning, as well as by students' own growth in leadership competencies.

Some other unique aspects of this program include:

Exposure to the most advanced thinking in relevant areas, by means of ongoing participation of diversity executives from around the country
Use of a web-hosted portfolio software, which provides focused opportunities for reflection, development of mindfulness, and greater insight into career development, and becomes the property of participants when the program ends
Completion of a short 360-degree feedback before the start of the program, as input to the portfolio process (above)
Evidence of progress-to-goals, based on a post-certificate 360-degree feedback

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