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George Washington University

Undergraduate School

Mailing Address
2121 I St NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20052
Phone
(202) 994-1000
Email address
gwadm@gwu.edu
School Information
"Since our capital city’s first days, people have traveled here for many reasons. They come to explore the past and to chart new futures. They come to ask questions and to seek expert answers. They come to start discourse and to remember in silence. They come to demand change and to be that change. They come to grow. They come to learn. They come to make history and join the ranks alongside many prominent GW alumni." The university enrolls over 26,000 students across its ten schools and 100 research centers. (Source: https://www.gwu.edu/about) (Source: https://www.gwu.edu/academics)
General Information
GWU has not yet taken steps to implement anti-racism initiatives university-wide. However, the School of Medicine and Health Sciences formed an "anti-racism" coalition to address implicit bias within the school's medical enterprise. What changes the coalition will demand (and how the university will respond to those demands) is not yet known. No mandatory Critical Race Training sessions are yet required of students. However, see developments below:

Actions Taken

Admissions Policies
  • Honors program admissions criteria will be revised to take diversity more into account and "de-emphasize GPA".
Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
  • Honors program faculty and staff took part in a diversity and inclusion workshop in the Fall 2020 semester.
  • GW's Multicultural Student Services Center (MSSC) offers free diversity trainings for students, faculty, and staff that "equip students and staff with the necessary skills to promote diversity and inclusion in the different environments in which they find themselves frequently."
  • In April of 2018, GW published the "George Washington University Response Action Plan for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion" which includes the following training requirements: "Make diversity training mandatory for all incoming students in fall 2018", "Require diversity training for residential life staff, RAs, Colonial Inauguration leaders, admissions staff, tour guides and other staff members who work closely with students", and "Require diversity training for all recruitment chairs and new member educators within the Greek community."
Curriculum Changes and Requirements
  • Honors program curricula and syllabi will be changed to reflect diversity and inclusion goals.
  • GW's Office for Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement facilitates the "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Online Course" and states that "all incoming first-year and transfer students must complete Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Students online educational course." The Office describes the course as follows: "The course features video stories from students who face discrimination in their everyday lives, explaining how it affects them. It also shows student actors experiencing or discussing racism and bias and asks students to reflect on how they would respond in real time to certain situations."
Disciplinary Measures
  • GW's Office for Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement offers several ways for students and faculty to report bias incidents. The Office states, " We strongly encourage students, faculty, and staff to report possible bias incidents. The Bias Incident Response Team will evaluate your report and determine the best way to respond."
  • The Office for Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement's Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT) supports students who are "targets or witnesses of hate or bias incidents," refers students to "available campus resources and services, including units that will conduct formal investigations," and promotes "dialogue within the campus community about the impact of bias."
Program and Research Funding
  • GW's Intersectionality Research Institute (IRI) is a "cross-disciplinary institute at the George Washington University focused on the application of intersectionality to quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research, policy, and practice." Recent projects include "Strengths and Stressors: The Black Men’s Health Study" and the "Intersectionality Policymaking Toolkit."
  • GW's Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service "promote[s] equity and active citizenship in a diverse democracy, focus[es] GW’s resources to address community needs through reciprocal partnerships beyond the campus, and enhance[s] teaching, learning, and scholarship at GW."
Resources
  • On February 16, 2022, the university announced the “formation of the Diversity Program Review Team, comprising faculty, staff and students who will conduct a comprehensive review of the university’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts to inform the development of a sustainable diversity action plan.”
  • On October 11, 2021, GW news posted an article titled "Who’s Afraid of Critical Race Theory (and What Exactly Is It, Anyway)?" The article reported that GW's School of Education and Human Development "hosted two events designed to clear up some of the confusion surrounding CRT and to spur further thought."
  • Since the 1960's, UW's Multicultural Student Services Center (MSSC) has been a "proud provider of multicultural programming, community, cultural education, and a safe and supportive environment for underrepresented and historically underserved students."
  • GW held its "8th Annual Diversity Summit" from March 1-3 of 2023. The Summit's theme was titled, "Toward a More Perfect Union: With Liberty, Justice & Civility for All" which "calls on us to recognize the diversity of our thoughts, voices, contributions, and ideas that strengthen our community and the world."
  • GW's Office for Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement posted several past events as part of its "Race in America Lecture Series" and includes a lecture that featured Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of the "1619 Project."
  • GW's Office for Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement published a comprehensive list of resources on the topics of race, anti-racism, systemic racism, and white supremacy. The lists include Ibram X Kendi 's "How to be Anti-Racist" and "Blood and Politics: The History of the White Nationalist Movement from the Margins to the Mainstream" by Leonard Zeskind.
  • GW's Office for Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement published a comprehensive list of "Allyship" resources which includes the topic of "Allyship Opportunities for White People."
Symbolic Actions
  • University painted a Black Lives Matter mural on its basketball court.
  • The university announced that it would strip the name of its longest-serving president from one of its buildings over complaints over racism.
Last updated October 4th, 2023
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