NLN Center for Diversity and Global Initiatives Aims at Being Locally Responsive and Globally Connected

Abstract

ascension of the NLN Center for Diversity and Global Initiatives has begun. This new center champions a diverse and global community of nurse educators. Its major goals are to strengthen academic cultures in diversity and inclusiveness and promote strategies to facilitate nurse educators' global engagement. Previous efforts by the NLN, including the development by members of a Diversity Toolkit, were designed to strengthen academic cultures in diversity and inclusiveness. However, following the 2008 NLN Education Summit, The Power of Diversity, in San Antonio, Texas, the need to broaden the NLN's definition of diversity and advance inclusive strategies useful to nurse educators became evident. NLN Diversity Think Tank was charged with broadening the definition, beyond affirming the uniqueness of and differences among persons, ideas, values, and ethnicities. following definition of core value of diversity, published on the NLN website, is foundational to the work of the NLN Center for Diversity and Global initiatives described below: DIVERSITY: A culture of diversity embraces acceptance, respect, and inclusivity. We understand that each individual is unique and recognize individual differences, which can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. A culture of diversity is about understanding ourselves and each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the richness of each individual. While diversity can be about individual differences, it also encompasses institutional and system-wide behavior patterns. We must always remember that diversity without inclusivity lacks action, representing a missed opportunity. LEADERSHIP NLN Center for Diversity and Global Initiatives, in partnership with the NLN Center for Transformational Leadership, sponsored the 2014 Leadership Conference: Academic Leadership Excellence: Creating Inclusive Environments. Reviews from participants in Savannah indicated that nursing education programs continue to struggle with inclusiveness. leadership conference was timely and effective in formulating strategies for inclusiveness for faculty and administrators. THE NLN EDUCATION SUMMIT NLN's strong presence in the global arena includes an international roundtable at the annual NLN Education Summit. roundtable brings together faculty who were educated abroad and have appointments in the United States, faculty educated in the US who have appointments outside the country, and faculty educated in countries other than the US who have appointments in their countries of origin or elsewhere. …