VCU news

By Mike Porter

Members of VCU’s University Equity and Diversity Committee want to know what you think about diversity on campus.

The committee has been working to analyze VCU’s administrative, faculty, staff and student makeup and wants feedback on the current campus climate at VCU to further its plan to increase diversity.

The Five-Year Diversity Plan contains four overriding goals, including:

• Create a working and learning environment that values diversity

• Increase diversity of faculty, staff and administrators in university leadership and decision-making roles

• Increase the presence of diverse faculty members at all ranks and levels

• Increase the presence of diverse staff members in the higher pay bands

The 36-member committee is gathering feedback from the university community on the current draft of the plan. The feedback will help to fine tune the 13 objectives and 61 actions in the plan.

Outreach efforts include faculty forums and staff ice cream socials as well as presentations made directly to individual schools and departments.

“We want your suggestions on how to make these 61 action steps even more effective,” Blue Wooldridge, D.P.A., professor of government and public affairs, said during a recent faculty forum at the University Student Commons Theater.

The next faculty forum takes place Wednesday, Aug. 27, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Kontos Medical Sciences Building auditorium.

Those who are unable to attend any of the sessions may also learn more about the plan and offer feedback anonymously here.

“Some members of the VCU community may feel more comfortable doing that,” said M. Njeri Jackson, Ph.D., special assistant to the provost for promoting diversity. “We’ve worked very hard to allow people to do so through a link from the VCU home page.”

The committee is looking ultimately to expand its mission to include enhancing student diversity and expanding cross-cultural community partnerships.