Affinity groups

Affinity groups are identity or shared interest groups where faculty and staff can foster a community of collegiality and support. Whether you share in a group’s identity or interest or not, affinity groups are open to everyone to build relationships with colleagues. If none of these groups emcompass what you need to belong, we invite you gather like minded people looking for the same community and start your own Affinity Group.

 

The name represents African American, Latinx, Asian and Native American. The AALANA faculty network seeks to support and advance faculty of color through collaboration, celebration, and knowledge. The network will provide mentoring opportunities for faculty of color, as well as professional development and networking events. 

 

Colofrful Voices Network is a POC centered affinity group dedicated to supporting UMass Chan employees’ growth both personally and professionally. Colorful Voices is a DIO and employee-led Networking Community established to provide a forum for employees to develop skills, network, and support key DEI initiatives. This group aims to enhance leadership and development opportunities, cross-departmental idea sharing, and multicultural understanding—while strengthening relationships among employees from marginalized backgrounds.

 

The Disabilities Group supports UMass Chan's long-standing commitment to a welcoming and accessible environment to assure that individuals with disabilities may participate in all of the benefits and opportunities afforded to the university community.

 

The LGBTA Group(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Allies) supports LGBTA faculty, staff and students in the university community. The group works to create a visible network of support and serves as a resource for the UMass Chan LGBT community. 

The Professional Women's Group seeks to create an inclusive team-based environment which is conducive to cross-cultural collaboration, promotes salary equity, and creates synergies to encourage and foster professional and personal growth and development for women.

 

The UMass Chan Post-doc Assocition (UMPA) promotes network building among current and former postdocs to foster community and belonging at UMass Chan and in the Worcester community.

 

The People of Color Affinity Group aims to create a safe space where those who have experienced structural oppression, marginalization and/or other microaggressions can share their experiences with others who have a shared sense of identity. This is a place for connection, mentorship and support to promote belongingness, healing and development of a collective power. The Worcester Family Medicine SOAR (Structural Oppression & Anti-Racism) Committee founded this group and has joined forced with the DIO to create a venue for residents, fellows and faculty of UMass Chan residency programs, as well as UMass Chan students (T.H. Chan School of Medicine, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing) and faculty. The group will engage in conversations, workshops, social networking events, celebratory events, and more.

 

The mission of the UMass Chan Veteran's Affinity Group is to embrace our proud community of employee veterans and spouses of veterans at UMass Chan. The groups’ purpose is to encourage each other through shared experiences, veteran recruitment, career development, outward engagement, professional growth and retention. Bringing together our unique background of military service, we seek to harness these strengths to better serve UMass Chan, our community and our country.