Diversity & Respect

Main Content

Word of the Month

Each month, there will be a meaningful, positive word posted around campus, underscoring UMMC's values. The "Word of the Month" is a visual reminder of the institution's standards when it comes to the promotion of a respectful and inclusive environment. Words are posted in the elevators and bulletin boards around campus. Managers are encouraged to post the word in their departments or units and to use the word as a "talking point" to stimulate dialogue with employees.  

Word of the Month - Community

Definition:

A unified body of individuals: such as: the people with common interests living in a particular area broadly: the area itself: a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society: a body of persons of common and especially professional interests scattered through a larger society: a body of persons or nations having a common history or common social, economic, and political interests: a group linked by a common policy: an interacting population of various kinds of individuals in a common location

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/community

Suggested talking points
and questions:

  • Do you feel your organization is an important part of your community?
  • What is the most significant change you have seen in your community in the last 5-10 years? What change have you seen in the last year?
  • What makes a strong community?

Quote from UMMC faculty, employees, and students:

"Community is a feeling not just a place where people gather or live. It is a response to belonging and being received without judgement or preconceptions. Community is anchored with respect, mutual caring and authentic relationships which allow members of all identity groups to flourish."

Juanyce D. Taylor, PhD
Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Professor, Health Administration
School of Health Related Professions
University of Mississippi Medical Center

This month recognizes:

World AIDS Day (Friday, Dec. 1, 2023)
Human Rights Day (Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023)
National Handwashing Awareness Week (Tuesday, Dec. 5 -  Monday, Dec. 11, 2023)

Resource(s):

Article: Rekindling a Sense of Community at Work

Rekindling a Sense of Community at Work (hbr.org)
Harvard Business Review