VCU news

Marc A. Nivet, Ed.D., chief diversity officer for the Association of American Medical Colleges, visited this month with VCU diversity officers and gave two grand rounds presentations.

His meeting with diversity officers from both campuses included a conversation about the diversity climate at VCU, the strides the university has made and areas in which it can still improve.

Sponsored by the Division for Health Sciences Diversity, Nivet’s grand round presentations were titled “Taking Action to Make Diversity Happen.”

One point he stressed was VCU’s obligation to affect change in creating success by teaching, connecting with and improving access to the university in the Richmond community – a key element of Quest for Distinction, VCU’s strategic plan.

Nivet also outlined the evolution of diversity in educational institutions as he has seen it, beginning with the time when diversity and excellence were seen as competing elements and continuing to the level where most institutions exist today – one in which diversity runs parallel with excellence.

He challenged VCU and other institutions to strive for the next evolutionary level in which diversity is at the core of excellence and the two are not seen as mutually exclusive.

One of Nivet’s final challenges was that diversity officers not be the only people concerned with diversity. Instead, he explained, diversity officers should be like IT specialists in that they provide tools and support for every person at the university to act on their own with regard to improving and encouraging diversity.

Nivet’s visit was part of the Division of Health Sciences Diversity’s monthlong “Diversity in Action toward Inclusive Excellence” event.

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