eral and private sources of funding for health professions students, including a review of evidence of their efficacy; and the role of institutional climate and community benefit standards in supporting and increasing diversity.

The study committee commissioned several papers, which were intended to provide in-depth information on the benefits of diversity, accreditation standards, admissions policies, financing of health professions, and institutional climate. Some of these papers are published with this report volume. These topics and the paper authors were determined by the study committee. The commissioned papers were not intended to serve as a sub-stitute for the committee’s own review and analysis of the literature. The committee independently deliberated on data regarding these topics, prior to receiving the draft commissioned papers.

The study committee hosted six one-day public workshops in conjunction with its February, April, and June 2003 meetings in order to gain additional information from the public on key aspects of the study charge. Two workshops were conducted at each of these three meetings. The topics and nature of the workshops were determined by the study committee.

The first workshop was intended to allow the committee to hear the perspectives of racial and ethnic minority and nonminority health professions organizations on the importance of diversity. Subsequent workshops were focused on admissions policies and practices; the role of accreditation standards in increasing diversity; the potential application of community benefits standards; ways in which the climate of institutions can support diversity; and the financing of health professions education, including federal and nonfederal sources of support. The agendas, with lists of participants, are presented in Boxes A-1 through A-3.