BMS Philosophy

The faculty and staff within the Missouri State University biomedical sciences (BMS) department are committed to supporting a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, faculty and staff.

Initiatives we've taken

We hope that our support helps these individuals not only achieve their academic and career goals, but also positively impact their communities. We acknowledge that the background of our students, faculty and staff influences their opportunities for success. Initiatives we have taken to assure all of our students receive support include:

  • Generation of two new program options in 2022 that provide maximum flexibility, allowing students to choose a program that is human-centered and will best suit their goals and career trajectories.
  • Continuous realignment of program requirements based on the evolving requirements of the health programs.
  • Programs and classes contribute to students’ cultural consciousness by providing instruction on the impact of bias in science and healthcare.
  • One hundred percent (100%) of our teaching faculty have obtained master advising status and are committed to mentoring our students to be culturally conscious pre-health professionals.
  • Since 2020, BMS has held monthly workshops supporting advising, teaching and professional development activity that engages BMS faculty and staff in practices that promote inclusion and demonstrate the respect we have for people from all backgrounds.
  • Updated criteria within our 2023 renewal and promotion guidelines to encourage faculty to participate and promote inclusive excellence in the classroom and professionally.

We envision a community that embodies inclusive engagement, not just in words, but in action. We have a broad range of expertise, including faculty from diverse professional backgrounds. We have shown a commitment to learning how to be more effective, inclusive educators and are leading in program-level initiatives that support inclusive engagement and cultural competence across the University. We have a specific goal of recruiting, supporting and retaining students and faculty by improving access to mentoring, providing inclusive measures of success and fostering peer support among our students.

Share your thoughts

If you are considering joining BMS as a student, staff or faculty, we encourage you to decide how you too can become part of our efforts.

Please share meaningful comments or concerns by emailing BiomedicalSciences@MissouriState.edu.

Accepted terminology in biomedical sciences

  • Ancestry: Genetic background.
  • Ethnicity: Cultural background, such as place of birth, language, customs, etc.
  • Gender: Social and cultural differences based on norms, behaviors and societal roles expected of individuals generally based on sex. Gender is self-identified and occurs on a spectrum with man/woman, girl/boy at the termini.
  • Race: Physical attributes. An individual’s race is self-identified. A social construct not supported by biology.
  • Sex: Genetic and phenotypic characteristics. e.g., male, female, intersex.

Inclusive engagement resources