Office of Multicultural Affairs

Bennetta C. Horne, MS
Director, Office of Multicultural Affairs

131 South Robertson Street, Room 1531
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone 504-988-7401
Fax 504-988-6462
bhorne1@tulane.edu

Bennetta is the Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs. She completed her undergraduate studies at Xavier University of Louisiana and her graduate work at LSU Health Sciences Center. She is responsible for fostering an all-inclusive environment for current and prospective students from traditionally underrepresented populations. These populations include not only groups who identify through race but also through religious beliefs, sexual identity, as well as other non-traditional students. The Office of Multicultural Affairs will also work to increase cultural sensitivity of the student body, faculty, and staff as well as to enhance the retention and academic success of all students.

Mission

Tulane University School of Medicine (TUSOM) values diversity. Tulane defines diversity broadly to include: persons of color, members of the LGBTQIA community, members of diverse ethnic groups including those typically underrepresented in medicine, members of economically disadvantaged groups, and any others who bring a different perspective to the learning environment. The school of medicine believes in a rich educational experience for all students through the infusion of cultural competency, sensitivity, and attentiveness. Additionally, the school of medicine values the sum total of ideals and perspectives of all individuals engaged in and connected to the educational process. 

Vision

The vision of the TUSOM is to cultivate an environment of inclusiveness and equity for the learning community. These efforts will promote social justice throughout the medical education community, diminishing the occurrences of discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or ability. This effort will generate conscientious global citizens primed to provide vital medical care to the diverse population in southeastern Louisiana and around the globe, thus advancing health equity.

Values Statements

• We believe that diversity is a fluid, ever evolving concept.
• We believe that examining a variety of perspectives will add value and substance to all participants in medical education.
• We believe that medical education cannot remain stagnant and must evolve to stay relevant to trends in the population and innovation of technology in order to effectively address the needs of local, national, and global citizens.
• We believe that emphasizing diversity will spur advocacy for the underserved.
• We believe that enhancing engagement at the undergraduate medical student level can develop a pipeline of a diverse applicant pool of graduate medical students, residents, faculty members, and administrators.
• We believe that enhancing diversity will enable TUSOM to remain aligned with the guiding principles and standards of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. 
• We believe that creating a collaborative, service-minded, learning environment will diversify the community of physicians by increasing the number of traditionally underrepresented students who earn medical degrees.
• We believe that enhancing diversity will have a direct impact on decreasing current health disparities currently existing in underserved communities as well as the effects of social determinants of health in providing healthcare to local, regional, and national communities.