Who doesn’t want a sense of belonging or to feel like their identity is accepted? To underscore its strong institutional commitment to belonging and inclusive spaces – with equity, respect and connection at its core – Wake Forest University School of Medicine has purposefully developed its Office of Justice and Belonging.

The Office of Justice and Belonging, which operates across the entire academic enterprise of Advocate Health, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine as the academic core, focuses on building an inclusive academic culture that embodies diversity and employs an equity-focused strategy aligned for faculty, learners and staff. The team is led by Brenda Latham-Sadler, MD, vice dean for Justice and Belonging, School of Medicine, and vice chief academic officer for Justice and Belonging, Advocate Health.

A headshot of a woman standing outside and smiling at the camera.

“My passion and understanding on the importance of belonging and supporting all students started back when I was a medical student – the program back then was called the Office of Minority Affairs; it was fairly new, and it felt like a safe haven for students from marginalized populations or underrepresented backgrounds.”

- Brenda Latham-Sadler, MD, vice dean for the Office of Justice and Belonging, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and vice chief academic officer for Justice and Belonging, Advocate Health

The Office of Justice and Belonging’s framework is comprised of three main pillars: engagement, partnerships and scholarship.

  • Engagement that coordinates and contributes to equitable opportunities and involvement throughout the academic enterprise. These initiatives include leadership convening groups such as department leads for diversity, equity and inclusion who will discuss best practices, converse on emergent issues and create synergies around shared initiatives.
  • Partnerships that build sustainable collaborations with internal and external partners focused on shared commitments to enhance equity. These initiatives will include collaborations to foster faculty and staff retention and curating open dialogue events such as the Academic Leaders Equity Forum where academic leaders from across the enterprise can discuss diversity, equity and inclusion topics and how they can be advanced collectively.
  • Scholarship that creates, contributes to and disseminates informal and formal research centered on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. These initiatives will include toolkits, resource guides and grants that support successful practices across the enterprise.

Through these pillars, the Office of Justice and Belonging hopes to illustrate the value of having different perspectives and inclusive spaces that support not only current faculty and students, but the next generation of clinicians and students who can continue to propel forward a culture of belonging.

To best meet the needs of these individuals, the Office of Justice and Belonging team will work collaboratively with leaders across all areas of academia to transform education and research. The team will use data driven approaches, examine policies and improve practices and structures to ensure equity throughout the organization. The Office of Justice and Belonging will work with leaders and teams to support departments in integrating diversity, equity and inclusion in their strategic efforts for learners, faculty and teammates.

“When I think back to my time in medical school and what the Office of Minority Affairs provided to me, it gave me so much support and hope that I could actually graduate from medical school and provided a sense of belonging,” Latham-Sadler said. “With the Office of Justice and Belonging team, I want to increase those feelings and resources for our students and faculty exponentially. We are educating future physicians and researchers and we want them to be the blueprint of good for all.”

The Office of Justice and Belonging is just one of the offices within the enterprise that works toward promoting a space for all. The Justice and Belonging team is focused on meeting the needs of academic faculty, staff and learners while collectively and collaboratively working towards the same outcomes as its counterparts by spearheading other initiatives with different groups and goals.

“It’s a pivotal time in health care and education and I’m so thankful that the Office of Justice and Belonging is focused and structured on living up to its name – providing everyone with a sense of belonging and spaces where they can participate all while continuing to grow and be better for those that come after us,” Latham-Sadler said.