Program for a Healthy Learning Environment
About
The Team
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Rory Merritt, MD, MEHP
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Learning EnvironmentRory Merritt, MD MEHP is the inaugural Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, Learning Environment. In this role, Dean Merritt assists our efforts to create and maintain an open, caring, and inclusive learning environment at the Medical School and its clinical affiliates and partners. He serves as a resource for persons seeking consultation about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the learning environment and provides critical leadership to address student mistreatment concerns. He serves as a liaison between the Medical School and the health care systems and helps clinical departments in their development, execution, and maintenance of individualized Learning Environment Action Plans. Dean Merritt reports to Dean Roxanne Vrees, the Associate Dean of Student Affairs.
Members of COLE include students, faculty and administrators from across the learning environment. Members share the common values that students should be free to learn in environment marked by freedom from mistreatment and/or microaggressions. Meeting quarterly, members of COLE help set the strategic direction for the Program for a Healthy Learning Environment, identify opportunities for proactively promoting a positive educational environment and review anonymized incidents of student mistreatment (and the institutional response). In this manner, COLE contributes to the transparency and accountability of the Program.
E-COLE meets monthly to review anonymized Learning Environment Surveys to ensure students are supported and their concerns are responded to appropriately and in line with institutional policies. E-COLE is comprised of the Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education, Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Associate Dean for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Associate Dean of Medical Education and Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Learning Environment. In addition, E-COLE meets:
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On an ad hoc basis to respond to egregious examples of student mistreatment and/or microaggressions
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To consider an appropriate response (including rescinding a faculty appointment) when an individual has been reported to have mistreated and/or microaggressed upon a student student on a third occasion
Other Sources of Student Support
While we always want to encourage students to reach out to the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Learning Environment and/or make use of the Learning Environment Survey to address concerns related to mistreatment and/or microaggressions, there are numerous others at Brown University who can help provide you with support including (but not limited to):