Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU's 2019-2025 Strategic Plan states that it would "Increase and retain the number of historically marginalized and international students (HMS) in the School of Education."

On June 29, 2023, VCU's President issued a statement in response to the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action which reads in part as follows: "VCU has been preparing for some time by evaluating admissions procedures and considering the impact of this ruling. Many of VCU’s admissions procedures are unlikely to be affected...VCU is the model of what a truly public research university should be, and we define ourselves by who we include and whose lives we lift. That won’t change."

The School of Education is beginning its "Becoming an Antiracist Educator" virtual series, which addresses "racial inequality and consists of nine sessions, covering topics such as deconstructing implicit bias and determining the impact of power and privilege."

VCU's 2019-2025 Strategic Plan states that it would "Provide high quality learning opportunities for SOE faculty, staff, students, and community partners to create actionable change in climate, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and belonging."

VCU offers several diversity training sessions (aimed at supporting people with disabilities), including: "Unpacking Implicit Bias," "Examining Disparities through Intersectionality," and "Moving from Allyship to Co-Conspiratorship."

VCU's Department of Faculty Affairs and Office of the Provost offers a series of diversity trainings for university leadership that "...will make you a better, stronger leader," and includes five course on such topics as implicit bias, microaggressions, and leading diverse teams.

VCU's 2028 Strategic Plan states that it would "[i]mplement a progressively phased approach to DEI education, training and remediation" and "[i]ncrease [the] number of staff, students and faculty trained (certified/badged) in DEI and community-engaged research best practices."

VCU's 2019-2025 Strategic Plan states that it would "Cultivate an inclusive and equitable learning environment for all students through classroom interactions, advising, and curriculum."

VCU's Honors College "embraces diversity and inclusion throughout its curriculum" and its students are "encouraged to ask tough questions and have difficult conversations that deepen and broaden their understanding about all dimensions of diversity."

VCU's 2028 Strategic Plan states that it would "[i]mplement an organizational infrastructure to support, sustain and scale DEI initiatives that infuses them into clinical care, curriculum, scholarship and practice" and "[p]romote, develop and scale curricular initiatives related to inclusive pedagogy and experiential learning."

VCU's 2028 Strategic Plan states that it would "[r]edesign general education to include expected competencies for...racial literacy and entrepreneurship."

In regards to "Diversity Training," VCU's 2028 Strategic Plan states, "100% of employees complete Title IX and nondiscrimination trainings."

VCU's Minority Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Equity Center provides "ongoing culturally-centered mentoring and induction support to improve the success of minoritized educators" and offers "culturally-centered co-curricular experiences tailored to the academic and social interest and needs of minoritized educators."

VCU's 2019-2025 Strategic Plan states that it would "Seek out and pursue strategic collaborations and opportunities with initiatives that focus on elevating interdisciplinary, transformative research in schools and communities, especially those serving individuals who are historically marginalized."

VCU's Summer 2021 edition of Alumni Magazine reported that "training for officers and staff has included Implicit Bias, Gender Beyond the Binary, an introduction by VCU Inclusive Excellence to VCU’s Call Me By My Name initiative and the training of two additional Fair and Impartial Policing instructors within the department."

VCU's Summer 2021 edition of Alumni Magazine reported that. as part of VCU police training reforms, "VCU Police hired three VCU students in the fall as safety ambassadors" and that students "completed 40 hours of training and can help community members who might need assistance but don’t need — or in some cases, want — to contact police." The students, "who wear bright-yellow vests, also report safety concerns they come across during their nighttime shifts" and "patrol high-traffic areas on the Monroe Park Campus, such as outside the University Student Commons and in the Compass."

VCU is considering making a course on racism part of its required curriculum.

Possible topics of a university course titled "Theories and Foundations of Africana Studies" (AFAM 201) include "black nationalism, neo-colonialism, Kawaida theory, black women's studies, Afrocentrism, Egyptology, black queer studies, critical race theory, diaspora theory and community engagement."

VCU's School of Education has a "Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Minority Educator Resources" webpage which links to related diversity departments throughout the university.

Dr. Mignonne C. Guy, Associate Professor and former chair of the Department of African American Studies Department, "has a strong interest in using critical race, epistemic oppression and socioecological lenses to examine the complex interplay between distal and proximal factors that influence health in people of African descent."

The research interests of SJ Sindu, PhD., Department of English Assistant Professor, include Critical Race studies and Critical Theory.

VCU's 2028 Strategic Plan states that it would incorporate the "National Association for Diversity Officers in Higher Education standards into senior leadership performance goals."

Starting February 2022 VCU will join 19 colleges “to serve as thought partners to develop a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Climate Assessment Toolkit through June of 2023.”

On April 20, 2021, following the Chauvin verdict, the VCU President released a statement saying, “though the trial is over, healing must continue, as pain continues for people of color in the VCU community, throughout the commonwealth and across the nation. Students, faculty, staff, team members and friends of VCU and VCU Health have shared with me their fear, disgust and absolute frustration at a system that allows continued violence and injustice against people of color, especially Black women and men.”

On May 31, 2020, following protests in Richmond, the VCU President released a statement saying, “what I see again and again is a very public manifestation of American history and, indeed, America’s present. It is impossible to comprehend centuries of horrifying injustice against minorities in this nation, particularly African Americans. Yet, even in 2020, your skin color still influences your social mobility and vitality even more so than where you were educated, live, or work. In America, it is still far too easy for those with privilege and prejudice to undo the hard-earned successes of others, particularly racial minorities. Individual, institutional, and structural racism is still our tragic reality.”

The VCU Faculty Senate issued an "Anti-racism Statement" which reads in part as follows: "The VCU Faculty Senate recognizes that structural and systemic racism across our educational and social institutions affect the psychological, physical, and spiritual well-being of our entire VCU campus and broader community...We pledge to fully support and help to implement the university initiatives identified in his report that are intended to eliminate bias, discrimination, and racism across our campus. We as VCU Faculty Senators commit to learning about, developing, and engaging in concrete anti-racist work...."