There’s a crowd of new directors and leaders beginning their work at Life Chiropractic College West. Some are filling new or newly expanded positions, some are replacing people who have left the college, and others are familiar faces taking on new responsibilities.
Here’s Part 1 of a guide to let you know who some of those new faces are, or what new projects are kicking off with someone you know at the helm, and how their work is helping to move Life West forward.
Dr. Jennifer Bosco, Executive Director of Admissions
Dr. Jennifer Bosco
New to the Admissions department is Dr. Jennifer Bosco, who comes to Life West after working in admissions at a medical school in the Caribbean.
“We were looking for fresh eyes and a fresh approach to recruitment, and Dr. Bosco brings this with her background in medical school recruiting,” says Dr. Anatole Bogatski, Life West’s Executive Vice President. He added that she brings a consciousness of inclusion and a deeper understanding of diversity on campus and how to achieve it through recruiting students.
“When you work for a Caribbean medical school, you really have to go out there to pull people in,” Dr. Bosco said. “They don’t know the school.” That kind of experience has been applicable here at Life West, where those outside of chiropractic might not think about coming here as a first option.
Dr. Bosco is working to make sure Life West becomes a household name, as well as reenergizing the mentor doc and recruiting programs.
“Pre-health education has changed dramatically in the past 10 years,” she said. “Colleges have ramped up pre-health advising programs in ways they didn’t 20 years ago.” She’s thinking about how Life West can connect with those schools and making sure that chiropractic and Life West is part of the agenda for pre-health advisers. This expanded approach isn’t brand-new, she said, but it’s one way of looking outside of the immediate community and puts a spotlight on creating partnerships wherever we go.
“Every single one of us who works here is a recruiter for Life West,” she added. “How do we support the rest of the campus to do that?” That’s the question she’s working on answering.
Dr. Bosco said that her involvement in human rights and social justice is also an important piece of who she is, and she’s thinking about ways to incorporate that into her work.
“Life West is highlighting diversity and inclusion as a strategic initiative, and I knew I could be of value and be a part of that development,” she said. “My work is in intersectionality, so I look at race, gender and sexuality as they work together in different spheres.”
As diversity and inclusion evolve in the chiropractic world, Dr. Bosco is considering how to honor the history and legacy of chiropractic as well as diversity and inclusion. “I think we can do both – honor the past and embrace the future,” she said.
Katie Bauman, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator
The Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator position is a new one at Life West.
“A few years back, the Board of Regents looked at diversity and inclusion as a dimension of the college’s culture and campus climate and agreed that this would become a priority for the college,” Dr. Bogatski said, providing history behind the new position. “The senior executive group at that time met with three consulting groups to hear from them how they could introduce a diversity and inclusion plan for the college that would be sustainable and positively impact our culture and the campus climate.”
The outcome of Life West’s work with a consulting group was a strategic diversity and inclusion plan that is now integrated into the college through Life West’s new strategic plan. “Almost all of the details of the consultants’ plan is now incorporated into the 7-year strategic initiative,” Dr. Bogatski added.
One of the items was to hire a diversity and inclusion coordinator, and that role has been filled by Katie Bauman. “She’s been able to work with the plan that’s already in place,” Dr. Bogatski said. “It’s given her structure and content that is ready to go.”
Bauman is working with the Diversity and Inclusion committee on the Inclusive Language Policy, and the Inclusive Patient Exam and Adjusting Policy for the Health Clinic and technique lab is now in its first draft.
She also held a seminar recently on implicit bias for staff and faculty.
Antoinette McGill, Staff Attorney
In the newly expanded Staff Attorney position sits Antoinette McGill.
“Antoinette has a long history in business and health law. Having an in-house attorney will further improve the college’s policy and compliance processes and make sure everything we do is sustainable and strengthens the college,” Dr. Bogatski said.
The position, which used to be part-time, will focus on policy and compliance issues, risk mitigation, contracts and other legal issues that affect the college. McGill will work with Life West’s executive team exclusively.
