As Title IX turns 50, Equity and Access Services promotes a human-centered approach to meeting student needs
“As we mark this anniversary, I hope we will continue to embody our mission as One VCU by fostering a culture of respect, accessibility and opportunity for all.” President Micheal Rao, June 23, 2022 Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 turns 50 today, June 23rd. Title IX changed the landscape of American […]
Recent grads reflect VCU’s commitment to equity, inclusion and service
(stories excerpted from VCU News) Ingrained in VCU’s mission are the core values of service, diversity, equity and inclusion. These values have been reiterated many times through VCU’s strategic plans and they form the basis of the specific charge of the Office of Institutional Equity, Effectiveness and Success (IES). These values are not just empty […]
VCU receives 2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, with special distinction as a Diversity Champion
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) has received the 2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, with special distinction as a Diversity Champion, from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine for the third consecutive year. Of the hundreds of institutions that apply yearly, 101 institutions received the HEED Award in 2021. VCU is one of only 14 institutions […]
Psychological Readiness and Return to Campus
A new eLearning module on Psychological Readiness and Return to Campus developed by VCU’s Office of Institutional Equity, Effectiveness and Success (IES), in partnership with Human Resources’ Office of Learning, Development & Organizational Culture, will be released in Talent@VCU on June 22, 2020. This course endeavors to help each of us to become more self-aware and better prepared for […]
The Power in Their Narrative
As 2020 introduced COVID-19 to the world, it lands on VCU’s doorstep and brought uncertainty and anxiety. And while this global pandemic has kept us physically apart, it is still vital to hear from each other as we work to overcome this unexpected adversity. Department of Focused Inquiry professor Tanya Boucicaut inspires and encourages her spring 2020 students to share […]
Aashir Nasim, Ph.D. shares remarks at the June 5, 2020 Board of Visitors meeting
Dr. Nasim, in a Friday morning web conference call, shares his thoughts on COVID-19 and its disproportionate impacts to underrepresented minority communities, Black Lives Matter and what his office has been doing to advance diversity and equity at VCU. Read his full statement.
Monuments not easily removed in education, healthcare and justice: a call to the 21st century urban public research university
When I was an undergraduate student in the 1990’s, I wrote an opinion essay that called for the renaming of the John C. Calhoun Expressway in Augusta, Georgia. The essay later was published, in part, as an editorial in my home city’s conservative-leaning newspaper. Calhoun, a former South Carolina senator and U.S. Vice President, was […]
An Interview with Kim Rahimian – A VCU Class of 2020 Occupational Therapy Graduate Student
“I’m originally from California, so making the transition across the country was different. I knew nobody in Virginia. That was scary and exciting. Grad school had its ups and its downs, but I will say I was able to find my sense of community.” Last week we had the opportunity to chat with Kim Rahimian […]
Maintaining an Equitable and Inclusive Work Environment During This Health Crisis
We live in challenging times. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our work and learning environments and fundamentally changed how we interact with one another. Despite these challenges and the myriad adjustments we have all had to make, it has become increasingly vital that we maintain equitable and inclusive relationships—free of discrimination, unconscious bias, and retaliation—in […]
Reimagining Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility: Emerging from the COVID-19 Chrysalis
Our world as we know it is changing by the second. With such uncertainty in even our day-to-day existence, why would accessibility matter? How could this experience reshape the inclusion of individuals with chronic conditions and disabilities in our everyday lives? At VCU, we’ve been challenged to rethink and reimagine how we can connect virtually, […]
