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James Madison University

Undergraduate School

Mailing Address
800 South Main Street
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807
Phone
(540) 568-6211
Email address
admissions@jmu.edu
School Information
"Founded in 1908, James Madison University is a public university located in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. JMU is fast becoming one of the nation’s leading lights in higher education because students enjoy unusually engaged relationships with world-class faculty who are here because they want to pursue knowledge and make teaching their No. 1 priority." The school enrolls over 21,700 students, employs over 1,570 faculty, and has over 130 degree programs. (Source: https://www.jmu.edu/about/index.shtml)
General Information
James Madison University has not yet implemented a school-wide antiracist initiative. However, it has increased access to antiracist resources. Most recently, the school'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. No mandatory Critical Race Training sessions are yet required of students. However, see developments below:

Actions Taken

Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
  • 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.
Program and Research Funding
  • 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.”
Resources
  • 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."
  • 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.”
Symbolic Actions
  • 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 has hired its first "associate vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion."
  • 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.
Last updated October 23rd, 2023
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