2024 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
NURTURING
CHANGE
the pathway to transformative care
In this, our seventh annual sustainability report, we are focused on nurturing change by forging the pathway to transformative care. The success of our students and graduates has convinced us that we are perfectly positioned to help shape the future of healthcare and education, dismantle the barriers to access, empower lifelong learners, and create more and better opportunities, and better health, for all.
-STEVE BEARD, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Driving Progress on Our Sustainability Priorities
We conducted a sustainability materiality assessment in fiscal year 2022 to help identify, define and organize the sustainability topics most pertinent to our business and our various internal and external stakeholders. Since then, we have been consistently focused on making progress on those priorities, especially our Tier 1 topics. As outlined in this matrix of material topics, our Tier 1 topics—which include Expanding the Health Professions Pipeline; Access to Education; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; and Public Health & Well-Being, among others—are considered the greatest opportunities for our sustainability program to drive meaningful value and impact.
Supporting the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
As we strive to make progress toward more sustainable operations, we are aligning our work with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Established in 2013, the 2030 Agenda features 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which offer a framework for governments, businesses and individuals as they pursue a better future together. Adtalem has identified five SDGs, each with several targets set by the United Nations, that guide us as we implement programs and efforts that drive positive impact.
Good Health And
Well-Being
Quality Education
Decent Work and
Economic Growth
Reduced Inequalities
Sustainable Cities
and Communities
Empowering Individuals
Impacting Global Communities
As a global, scaled healthcare education enterprise, Adtalem is uniquely positioned to address deep inequities and shortages in the healthcare system. We are dedicated to nurturing change by increasing access to education and supporting underrepresented students and communities, while working directly with healthcare systems to place qualified professionals in critically needed positions. We leverage cutting-edge technology, forge strong partnerships that deliver outcomes for students and employer partners, foster inclusive work and educational environments, and provide financial support to aid students and nonprofits, all while maintaining our steadfast focus on improving communities and healthcare systems.
healthcare degrees and certificates granted during the 2023-2024 academic year.1
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council launched to ensure continuity and accountability across the organization.
offered through the Empower Scholarship Fund to 208 students across all Adtalem institutions.
Our Impact: By the Numbers
The American College of Healthcare Executives' annual survey highlights workforce challenges, including labor shortages, as the top concern for hospitals for the second consecutive year. Adtalem plays a pivotal role in addressing these shortages by preparing highly qualified, diverse students who are ready to enter the U.S. healthcare system upon graduation. Our commitment to alleviating these critical shortages, particularly in underserved communities, has never been more relevant.
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HEALTHCARE | More than 1 million | Up to 202,800 for | Up to 24,000 of companion-animal veterinarians by 2030.4 | On average, 63,800 additional social work jobs are expected to be available each year between 2022 and 2032.5 |
HOW ADTALEM IS MAKING AN IMPACT | #1 grantor of #1 grantor of BSN, | Combined, AUC and RUSM #1 provider of Black MD graduates to the U.S. in 2022-2023 compared to U.S. medical schools. | Between FY20-FY22, 1 in 4 RUSVM graduates have been people of color. | #1 grantor of research doctoral degrees in Psychology and Social Science combined. |
~300k alumni impacting local communities. |
Prioritizing Student Satisfaction
We emphasize combining education with practical experience and nurturing a supportive learning environment, ensuring both students and staff thrive and achieve successful career outcomes. Additionally, we focus on integrating innovative technologies to foster student satisfaction, drive data-informed decisions and boost productivity.
Colleague Engagement
We strive to attract, support and retain top talent, recognizing the vital role our colleagues play in nurturing change for our students and our institutions. We proudly offer professional development opportunities and a comprehensive range of benefits to support our colleagues' well-being in a holistic way.
Safeguarding Global Health
and the Environment
As a leader in healthcare education, Adtalem recognizes that the well-being of people, animals and the environment is closely tied to the way we care for our planet. We seek to instill this philosophy in our students, so they may be empowered throughout their careers to act toward mitigating a range of global challenges. By expanding our students’ collective understanding of this interconnectivity, we are nurturing change in communities where our students go on to practice and working to ease the effects climate change can have on public health across the globe. In doing so, we are working to deliver transformative care everywhere.
kWh of energy expected to be generated from AUC solar panels annually.
Climate Disclosures Working Group launched to proactively prepare our enterprise for emerging disclosure requirements.
pounds of material reused or recycled across our locations.
Embracing a Multidisciplinary Approach to Health and Well-Being
Understanding the interrelations between human, animal and environmental health is essential to addressing a range of complex global health issues, including disaster resilience and mitigation, infectious diseases and food security. This framework, known as One Health, offers an interdisciplinary approach for delivering education, innovation and impact. Adtalem is uniquely positioned to address these concerns by harnessing the expertise of our global network.
Interdisciplinary Approach: Supporting Health for All
Public Health Initiatives
Throughout the year, Adtalem institutions participate in numerous public health initiatives, providing healthcare services to our communities and vital learning experiences for our students.
Environmental Stewardship
We strive to act as effective stewards of the planet doing our part to understand and reduce our organizational footprint while educating our students about the public health implications of climate change and other environmental degradation.
Operating with Purpose
and Responsibility
Our commitment to operational excellence is a crucial element of our Growth with Purpose strategy. To best support our stakeholders, our enterprise is built on a strong foundation of corporate governance, ethics and risk management, as well as guided by an unwavering strategic vision. These practices grant us the capacity to make thoughtful, informed decisions. From this solid foundation, we can carry forward our mission to provide access and opportunity to everyone – and further develop our students along the pathway to transformative care.
Artificial Intelligence Policy created, and more than 82% of colleagues completed a cybersecurity awareness training campaign on AI chatbots.
rankings at or above the 90th percentile from the 2023 S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment.8
Sustainability Working Group reorganized to integrate best practices for sustainability into our business operations.
Our Governance Principles
Our Governance Principles guide our board of directors’ cross-functional approach to oversight. A system of committees – each chaired by an independent director – assesses functional areas while providing guidance and direction. Sustainability-related topics manifest across various departments and roles across Adtalem. As such, the board allocates specific sustainability oversight duties to its committees.
Board Diversity and Independence9
People of Color 36%
| White 64% | Female 45% | Male 55% | Average Age 59 | Board Independence 82% |
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Cybersecurity and Data Privacy
Our responsibilities include safeguarding sensitive information about our students, employees and operations. Our framework is designed to strengthen our systems against potential risks to foster the trust of our internal and external partners.
Ethics and Integrity
Our Code of Conduct and Ethics outlines the ethical standards and expectations we uphold for everyone at Adtalem. Role-based training is offered on topics such as anti-bribery, corruption, privacy, anti-harassment and Title IX compliance.
| Document Name | File Type | Size |
|---|---|---|
| adtalem-2023-sustainability-report.pdf | 15.03 MB | |
| adtalem-2022-sustainability-report.pdf | 13.44 MB | |
| adtalem-2021-sustainability-report.pdf | 3.4 MB | |
| adtalem-2020-sustainability-report.pdf | 13.74 MB | |
| adtalem-2019-sustainability-report.pdf | 15.16 MB | |
| adtalem-2018-sustainability-report.pdf | 6.16 MB |
1Period of 7/1/2023–6/30/2024. Includes degrees and certificates awarded in Adtalem Global Education programs with the following Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes: 44.0000, 44.0701; and CIP codes beginning with 42 or 51.
2Based on data from the AACN Nursing Shortage Fact Sheet - May 2024.
3AAMC Report from March 2024: The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: Projections from 2021-2036.
4Data for U.S. pet healthcare market. Mars Veterinary Health & Animal Health Economics, LLC, “Tackling Veterinary Professional Shortage," August 2023.
5Based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
6Based on reported number of graduates in most recent class from AAVMC member veterinary institutions. American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, "2022-2023 Institutional Data Report," December 2022.
7Walden University, based on 2022 completion data.
8 Percentiles in the Diversified Consumer Services Category as of March 15, 2024.
9Out of 11 members: Data as of June 30, 2024.