James Madison University

On August 14, 2023, JMU's online newspaper "The Breeze" interviewed JMU's President to discuss how the university would be affected by the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action. According to the article JMU's President said, "JMU already abstains from race-based admissions, and that increasing the availability of financial aid is — as it has been — the school’s top priority to becoming more diverse."

The university's Learning Centers recently made a commitment to ensuring peer educators, students, and professional staff, as well as faculty, receive "anti-racist" training.

University will be hiring six new faculty members "to work broadly across areas of racial and social justice, minority cultures and critical race studies."

As part of its "Anti-Racist Agenda," the university "Increased funding for African, African American, and Diaspora Studies (AAAD), increasing its visibility through a centrally located office and providing administrative support" and "Increased funding for Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies minor."

Several Task Forces, including the Task Force on Racial Equity, the Diversity Task Force, and the Task Force on Inclusion, have been developed and charged with the responsibility to gather recommendations and ideas to advise the president and administration of JMU.

The JMU Provost issued the 2022 Diversity Curriculum Grant Awards to support the “mission of enhancing access, equity and curriculum development, faculty research, professional development, and practices that will impact student learning/training and institutional culture.”

The school gives Innovative Efforts Award (IDEA) grants to “sustainable activities and projects for the enrichment of diversity and inclusion at James Madison University.”

The Inclusive Research and Pedagogies Seed Fund at JMU "supports Academic Affairs’ mission of enhancing access, equity and inclusive excellence in faculty teaching, research and professional development."

The university's Center for Multicultural Student Services hosted a keynote event with Dr. Michelle Montgomery, "a professor of interdisciplinary arts and sciences in American Indian studies and ethnic, gender and labor studies at the University of Washington Tacoma."

JMU has hired its first "associate vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion."

James Madison University has a site dedicated to offering resources for anti-racism “as well as recent statements condemning racism and affirming commitments to social justice from our professional organizations.”

James Madison University curated a “STEM+IE Speaker Series” which offers sessions hosted by speakers who “explore topics related to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, anti-racism, and related areas.” This series began in 2021 and continues each year.

The school’s Office of Strategic Initiatives and Global Affairs was created to work towards “putting into action the division’s strategic plan” and supporting inclusive excellence.

James Madison University annually hosts the Diversity Conference, which is sponsored by the Office of the President.

The school hosts several diversity councils, which support “the semination and creation of university and departmental diversity initiatives.”

The school hosts the Beacon Newsletter in order to highlight DEI initiatives.

The CMSS Multicultural Attachés works on “supporting first year multicultural students who are adjusting to life at James Madison University.”

Academic Affairs Shared Equity Leaders "work closely with diversity councils, the Vice Provost of Strategic Initiatives and Global Affairs, deans, and academic unit heads."

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leaders at JMU "work closely with the Provost Faculty Diversity Council, Academic Unit Diversity Councils, the Associate Provost for Diversity, deans, and academic unit heads."

JMU's Faculty Recruitment Resources include a "Guide on Unbiasing" and the "Implicit Association Test" by Harvard University.

The School of Theatre and Dance at JMU provides anti-racist resources which include several links to Black Lives Matter articles, websites, and resources.

The university's Learning Centers recently made a commitment to "Review and revise the language of our department’s 'inclusive' value, with a focus on making it actionable and justice-oriented. "

JMU’s Strategic Plan for 2020-2026 consists of select Core Qualities that are supported by a series of supporting University Goals with Access, Inclusion and Diversity as the second core quality.

The Academic Affairs Strategic Planning Committee finalized work in Spring 2022 on the division’s Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals which includes diversity, racial equity, and an anti-racist agenda.

JMU's College of Education issued an Anti-Racism Statement which reads as follows: "We, as a College of Education, stand in solidarity with our Black colleagues, students, alumni, and staff. We are committed to speaking out and taking action against racism and injustice in all its forms in education and in society. We are committed to changing our practices, systems, and behaviors to create more equitable classrooms and communities. #BlackLivesMatter." Additionally, the college provides anti-racist resources for educators.