Category: NC State

March is Women’s History Month!

In 2020, approximately 64% of US Veterinarians identified as female, according to the AVMA. However, women did not always have such representation in veterinary medicine. This month, we remember a few of the female pioneers in vet med who are celebrated for paving the way.

  • Dr. Elinor McGrath is considered to be the first woman to earn a DVM and practice veterinary medicine. She was unique at the time for her focus on small animal veterinary medicine, at a time when veterinary medicine was predominantly focused on the health of farm animals, and providing veterinary care for pets was not the norm. Dr. McGrath earned her degree from the Chicago Veterinary College in 1910 and provided much-needed care for the pets of Chicago throughout her career.
  • Dr. Alfreda Johnson Webb is one of the first two Black women to earn a DVM, graduating from the Tuskegee institute School of Veterinary Medicine in 1949. Dr. Webb led an academic career in veterinary medicine, and was a professor at NC A&T who served on the planning committee for our NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Webb was also the first African-American woman in the North Carolina General Assembly, appointed in 1971. In our NC State CVM House System, House Webb is named in honor of Dr. Webb’s legacy.
  • Dr. Jane Hinton earned her degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1949, and along with Dr. Webb became one of the first two African American women to earn a DVM. She was a pioneer in the study of bacterial antibiotic resistance. She worked as a small animal veterinarian before joining the USDA as an inspector involved in research and response to outbreaks of disease in livestock. Webb and Hinton became the first Black members of the Women’s Veterinary Medicine Association, leading the way for diversity and representation in veterinary medicine.
  • Dr. Ethel Connelly was the first Native American woman to earn a DVM. Dr. Connelly grew up on a cattle ranch on the Blackfeet Native American Reservation in northern Montana. As a pre-vet student, she started a summer outreach program for Indian youth that continues on, 40 summers later. Dr. Connelly graduated earning a DVM in 1989 from Colorado State University (receiving a round of applause while wearing a traditional buckskin dress as she crossed the stage to receive her diploma). She continues to devote her career to caring for the pets of the Blackfoot community in Montana.

Sources:

vet.cornell.edu

vetmed.ufl.edu

avma.org

ncsu.edu

Gratitude in the Halls of the CVM Hospital

You may notice an update in the halls of the CVM Hospital this week – large pieces of paper will be hung to serve as Gratitude Walls. Members of the CVM who work in the hospital (who came up with the idea, but asked to remain anonymous) explained the project and how you can participate: 
We know that not only being recognized with gratitude but expressing gratitude has a very positive impact on our wellbeing.
As we approach the anniversary of when the CVM/ hospitals went on lockdown, we want to create a space for the CVM  community to express gratitude to the people and things in this community that held them up during this very challenging year.
There will be several large paper Gratitude Walls for members of our community to share their gratitude,  prominently posted in the Terry Center and also in Health and Wellness and the Large Animal Area.
We invite you to join in recognizing the many people and ways in which we not only persevered but grew during this year.

Gratitude Walls are scheduled to go up on Wednesday, February 25.  

February is Healthy Relationships Month!

The following was featured in a recent newsletter from the NC State Department of Risk Assessment:

Unhealthy Relationships

“While everyone does unhealthy things sometimes, we can all learn to love better by recognizing unhealthy signs and shifting to healthy behaviors. If you are seeing unhealthy signs in your relationship, it’s important to not ignore them and understand they can escalate to abuse. If you think you are in a dangerous situation, trust your gut and get help.”

10 Signs of an Unhealthy Relationship:

  1. Intensity
  2. Manipulation
  3. Sabotage
  4. Guilting
  5. Deflecting Responsibility
  6. Possessiveness
  7. Isolation
  8. Belittling
  9. Volatility
  10. Betrayal

Learn more specific information on unhealthy relationship signs: HERE

Sources:
OneLove: Unhealthy Relationships

All of the above information is from OneLove, 2021

Healthy Relationships

“Healthy relationships bring out the best in you and make you feel good about yourself. A healthy relationship does not mean a “perfect” relationship, and no one is healthy 100% of the time, but the signs below are behaviors you should strive for in all of your relationships. Healthy relationships manifest themselves as healthy communication, but in order to have a healthy relationship, you need to love yourself first. Here are some characteristics and behaviors of a healthy relationship.”

10 Signs of a Healthy Relationship:

  1. Comfortable Pace
  2. Honesty
  3. Respect
  4. Kindness
  5. Healthy Conflict
  6. Trust
  7. Independence
  8. Independence
  9. Equality
  10. Taking Responsibility
  11. Fun

Learn more specific information on healthy relationship signs: HERE

Sources:
OneLove: Healthy Relationships

All of the above information is from OneLove, 2021

Follow @NCStateRiskAssessment on Facebook to get more information on what healthy and unhealthy relationships look like!

Sharing Concerns:
Reporting Violence and Other Concerning Behaviors

According to the NC State Campus/Workplace Violence Prevention & Management Regulation, it is the responsibility of all employees and students at NC State to be alert to the possibility of violence on the part of prospective, current or former employees or students as well as campus visitors and to submit a Concerning Behavior Referral.

Early recognition, intervention, and referral are critical to getting someone help and decreasing risk. Taking action can save a job, an education, a career—or a life.

If you find yourself worried or alarmed about an individual who is distressed or troubled you should submit a Concerning Behavior Referral.

If an individual’s behavior appears to be an imminent threat to safety, contact the NC State University Police immediately at 919-515-3000.

Unhealthy Relationship Concerns

If you are concerned about an NC State employee or student being in an unhealthy or abusive relationship, submit a Concerning Behavior Referral. The Department of Risk Assessment can help you and/or this individual get connected with resources and do safety planning.

Resources

Resource Guides:

The Department of Risk Assessment has compiled a variety of on and off campus resources for the benefit of students, faculty and staff.

  1. On Campus Resource Guide for Students
  2. On Campus Resource Guide for Employees
  3. Off Campus Resource Guide for Students and Employees

    Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FASAP):

    If you feel that you may be in an unhealthy relationship, reach out to FASAP!

    FASAP has trained professionals you and/or your family members can talk to regarding any issues, including relationship/marital and interpersonal conflicts.

    No-cost and confidential!

    Visit the FASAP website to view all the resources available to you.

EHPS-VP603 – Bullying and Respect in the Workplace 
The next available training is on 02/15/2021, 04/23/2021 and 06/17/2021
Sign up here: https://reporter.ncsu.edu/link/courseview?courseID=EHPS-VP603&deptName=EHPS  

EHPS-VP604 – Bullying in the Workplace – Guidance for Managers & Supervisors  
The next training is available on 02/18/2021, 05/13/2021 and 07/20/2021
Sign up here: https://reporter.ncsu.edu/link/courseview?courseID=EHPS-VP604&deptName=EHPS

EHPS-VP100 – Understanding Workplace/Campus Violence Prevention and Your Role
The next available training dates are 03/16/2021, 05/13/2021, 07/13/2021 and 09/15/2021
Sign up here: https://reporter.ncsu.edu/link/courseview?courseID=EHPS-VP100&deptName=EHPS

EHPS-VP101 – Workplace Violence Prevention and Guidance for Managers and Leaders
This is a recorded training available at any time.
Sign up here: https://reporter.ncsu.edu/link/courseview?courseID=EHPS-VP101&deptName=EHPS

EHPS-VP200 – Question, Persuade & Refer – Suicide Prevention for Faculty & Staff
The next available training dates are 02/16/2021, 03/08/2021, 04/13/2021, 05/03/2021 and 07/14/2021.
Sign up here: https://reporter.ncsu.edu/link/courseview?courseID=EHPS-VP200&deptName=EHPS

The Educator’s Pledge

Recently, members of the Academy of Educators (AoE) and the NC State branch of the Southeastern Veterinary Education Consortium’s (SEVEC’s) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion working group have been invited to participate in an initiative called the Educator’s Pledge, a personal intentional pledge to create learning environments that are more inclusive, equitable and supportive of diversity through our habits and actions. It has been exciting to see so many colleagues at the CVM enthusiastically making their pledges and sharing them publicly (which is part of the process, so what we can all be held accountable).
While working on my own Pledge (see below), I reached out to AoE director, Jesse Watson to give us an overview of what the pledge is all about:
What is the purpose of the Educator’s Pledge?
–  The Educator’s Pledge is about using intentional practice to change our habits and create a more inclusive, equitable, and diversity supportive learning environment for our students.  We want to adjust our cultural norms to better reflect the needs of our students and graduates.
Habits To Be Made
Who started the pledge? Who was invited to take part?
–   The Pledge comes out of the Southeastern Veterinary Education Consortium’s (SEVEC’s) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion working group.  This includes representatives from nine CVMs in our region collaborating to support each other in becoming better educators and educational institutions.  Each college is participating to a different degree, and some are waiting to join us in Fall 2021.  Within NCSU, we’ve advertised the pledge within the Academy of Educators, though anyone is welcome to join.
How did the idea for the Educator’s Pledge come about?
–  There are many excellent programs for increasing awareness of these issues and beginning the lifelong process of self-educating.  We have folks like Dr. Cannedy and all the projects coming through the CVM Diversity Committee, the Faculty Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (FCDI) as well as the NCBI and training provided by NCSU main campus.  The Educator’s Pledge is designed to come in after you’ve attended a couple of these or similar opportunities and are trying to figure out what you can do in your own practice.  It is intended to be an entry point to taking action and applying what you have learned, and hopefully are continuing to learn.  It’s also designed to have some fairly “light lift” options for engagement.  Not everyone is prepared,  able, or interested in becoming a crusader, and some action plans can be intimidating, or even impossible for folks.  We wanted to provide a scaffold for folks in different situations to work towards positive change at the level they can do.  Further, we wanted to create something that was community building.  To this end, we ask that every pledge be made publically.  This is not only to share what you’re doing, but to show that it’s worth doing.  This is how we grow one person’s desire to improve into a community-level movement.
My Pledge (Julia Rice):
I am an Educator.
As an Educator, I am responsible for providing the best education I can for my students.
As an Educator, I am responsible for acknowledging that I and my students live in a world full of prejudices that wrongfully disadvantage many in our field, our college, and our classrooms.
As an Educator, I am responsible for constant efforts to maintain awareness of these prejudices and to provide an education that actively works against oppression.
This is how I strive to be a good Educator.Educating is hard work that requires honesty, humility, and help from you, my students.
I am asking for help to do right by our field, by our college, and by you.
I take this pledge anew each semester to include a specific and observable teaching practice in support of diversity, equity, and inclusivity.
I choose a different practice to incorporate each semester, and the practice I choose for this semester is described below.
Please support me in this effort through your feedback, recommendations, and reminders.
We can do better, together.
I pledge to continue developing myself through learning in the GLBT Advocate Program at NC State, as well as the Foundations in Cultural Competence and Inclusivity Certificate Program for Faculty. I also pledge to be a Wellbeing Ally by reaching out to check in with three CVM community members per week.
For more information on the Educator’s Pledge and how to participate, contact Jesse Watson at jwatson3@ncsu.edu

Social Wellbeing: Make the Most of Your Meetings

As we approach the end of the year, and still face the challenges of the pandemic, for many of us, the majority of the social interaction we have at work continues to happen virtually, through apps like Zoom. As I’ve written in the past, we know we’re all starting to feel a little Zoom fatigue at this point. With that in mind, here are a few tips for supporting your meeting’s attendees’ wellbeing and boosting productivity while you’re at it:

  • Agendas are worth the effort – write up a few bullet points on what you plan to cover in your meeting and email it to attendees 1-3 days before. This helps everyone come to the meeting mentally prepared and makes you organize your own thoughts beforehand. People will be more at ease and more willing to participate productively if they know what will be discussed. You’ll use time more efficiently and perhaps even be able to end early! Agendas are a pro-move, and your attendees will appreciate the benefits of having one. 
  • Have a walking meeting – get things done while you get some movement in! if you have a two-person meeting scheduled that is less formal in nature, consider making it a walking meeting! Keep a distance if in-person, or use Zoom with audio only. Or better yet…
  • Go old-school with a phone call – many folks dealing with Zoom fatigue are opting for meeting via a good-old-fashioned phone call! With the freedom cell phones give us, you might be able to take your meeting outside, on a walk, or even just in another room, for a change of scenery and to minimize distractions. 
  • Leave time in that hour for transition – Set meetings for 50 minutes or 25 minutes rather than an hour or a half hour. Intentionally ending with a bit of time left in the hour allows your meeting attendees to take a bio break, stretch, or grab a bite, but most importantly, it gives them time to process what was discussed in your meeting, put those action items on their to-do list, and better transition to the next meeting on their schedule.
  • Be mindful of the time – for those who are social distancing, it can be easy to lose track of time, especially when we miss the interactions we used to have with our colleagues. To be respectful of your meeting attendees, keep an eye on the time. Drag your Zoom window next to the clock on your computer’s desktop. Mention the time when a few minutes remain so that folks have an opportunity to wrap up or schedule a time to resume the discussion. If they say, “that’s ok, I don’t have anything after this” and you’d like to keep talking, ask when their next meeting is so that you know when you’ll need to adjourn. Being respectful of others’ time and treating it valuably is a positive way to signal that you care about their wellbeing.

Whichever methods you chose, now is a time to be mindful of the attention spans and energy levels of those you work with, and be respectful of their time. If you are setting up a meeting, use your social awareness to think creatively about how you can make the best of everyone’s time!