In order to fulfill our mission to “enhance lives & careers for the 21st century” in the Richmond community, we seek to develop and implement programs that promote a safe, equitable and accessible learning experience for students of all backgrounds, identities, viewpoints and experiences.
Our faculty and staff seek to better understand what diversity, equity and inclusion mean and look like when implemented, and to recognize and counter implicit bias in working among themselves and with our students.
As residents of Central Virginia, our degree-seeking and professional education students often reflect the multicultural, multi-ethnic diversity of our region. We continually work to ensure that our programs serve our diverse student body both equitably and inclusively. To that end, we’ve launched initiatives to keep this important work at the forefront of our efforts, integrated into all aspects of our programming and operations.
The following are a selection of resources available on the University’s DEI Resources & Opportunities page. More information about each is available by following each link. All resources are available to students, faculty, and staff across the institution.
The School of Professional & Continuing Studies, along with the Osher Lifeling Learning Institute, hosted a series of workshops on recognizing and combating implicit bias during the 2020-2021 academic year. The workshops were led by Dr. Destiny Peery, a social psychologist and legal scholar who specializes in the study of identity, bias and discrimination, diversity, and equity and inclusion.
Reba Poole, an experienced ASL instructor, educates the UR community at SPCS and nurtures inclusion, understanding, and fairness.
The Osher Institute at the University of Richmond recently engaged in a timely and important community read of the book Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. As the U.S. continues to wrestle with its national past of racial and economic inequity and seeks to build a more inclusive and just society, Wilkerson’s book asks readers to consider history in a broader way.
EDUC 518U Diverse Learners and Human Growth and Development
Introduces students to the wide range of diversity that exists in schools today. Explores diverse learning styles and students' needs, and connections to cultures, communities, and family values as well as student support through trauma informed care. Provides theoretical underpinnings and contemporary perspective on critical issues, professional practices, and state and federal laws influencing the teaching of students with diverse learning needs, including specific learning disabilities (SLD) such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and auditory processing disorders.
Offered in the following programs:
EDUC 581U Social Justice and Equity in Education
Gain an understanding of the origins and evolution of critical social justice theory. Through various hands-on activities and experiences, participants will be provided with opportunities to develop a historical perspective of the inequities that plague our communities and to engage in their own practice of uncovering hidden bias. Practical applications of the theory and understanding gained will culminate in the development of an educational mission statement along with resources to be used and shared in real educational settings.
Offered in the following programs:
HRM 598U Selected Topics: Diversity in Organizations
Introduces students to theoretical and practical ideas about diversity in organizations. Students will explore strategies to address diversity as a manager and employee. Research relevant to organizations, and many functions within organizations including human resources (recruitment, selection, training and development, performance management and evaluation, safety and health, etc.), marketing, and customer relations will be discussed. Students will explore strategies to address diversity issues in many different types of organizations and study legislation related to diversity, and trends in diversity from a variety of sources.
Offered in graduate HR Management programs.
The statements and messages that appear below were distributed either to the entire University community or among the students, alumni, faculty and staff of the School.
April 6, 2021
The members of the faculty and staff of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies at the University of Richmond write in solidarity with the Black Student Coalition and numerous other student and faculty groups to support removal of the names of Robert Ryland and Douglas Southall Freeman from University buildings.
In contrast to the Board of Trustees’ assertion that the current building names align with our educational mission, we believe that if we are to truly embrace the mission of providing an “academically challenging, intellectually vibrant and collaborative community,” we must be willing to respond to the needs of our students and broader community. We support our students in having their voices heard and we embrace the opportunity to fulfill our SPCS mission “to meet the educational, professional and personal growth needs of adults in the metropolitan Richmond area and beyond.” As the most diverse student body on campus, as well as the most representative of the Richmond community, we acknowledge the historical significance of the debates surrounding monuments to troubling historical figures. We recognize the decisions to remove those monuments as entangled with the issues our own institution faces as it confronts its own complex history and important figures. We perceive renaming the buildings as a powerful first step in acknowledging the issue of commemorating the oppressive and exploitative aspects of our shared histories, while also recognizing the positive contributions in nuanced and contextualized ways. We understand that a core group of the University of Richmond family do not feel valued and included here at the University. Rather than ignoring the role symbolism and iconography play in the sense of inclusivity, we must acknowledge the power of that symbolism, and remove the names. We believe this removal is a necessary step to continuing to build a welcoming community where all students can thrive.
Additionally, we share the following supporting thoughts:
We should strive to make this campus as inclusive and responsive to diverse students as possible to benefit all students. We embrace the mission of higher education to engage with difficult subjects, and ultimately to make difficult decisions at important moments. As noted in the University of Richmond’s strategic plan for inclusive excellence and in the University’s Mission, our collective work to prepare students for “lives of purpose, thoughtful inquiry, and responsible leadership in a diverse world” is bearing fruit in the activism and advocacy of our student body. We support and acknowledge their work and their call to remove the names of Ryland and Freeman from buildings as a just and appropriate step on our journey toward diversity, equity and inclusion in our university and Greater Richmond community.
April 2, 2021
One of the foundational values identified in the University of Richmond’s strategic plan is inclusivity and equity. A critical component of implementing this value is creating a sense of “belonging” among all students. As the 2019 university report, Making Excellence Inclusive, explained, belonging entails “[c]ultivating inclusive living, learning, and work environments in which all can fully participate in the life of the institution and experience a sense of belonging.” As deans of the five schools at the University, each of us is committed to making our schools places that are truly welcoming to all students, faculty and staff, and each of us has worked hard to make that aspiration a reality.
Against this backdrop, we are extremely concerned for our community. The decision regarding the naming of Ryland and Freeman Halls, questions about the procedures and reasons supporting that decision, and the subsequent events surrounding that decision have left many of our students, faculty and staff angry and deeply dismayed at what they perceived to be a turn away from our shared values of inclusivity and equity. The harm that has occurred is extremely serious and is getting worse. The Faculty Senate and some of our Schools and departments have asserted strong positions regarding recent events, and others are planning such statements. It would be a deep misreading of the situation to assume, for example, that all of this will blow over once students leave for the summer. On the contrary, we believe that without a significant change in course, we are on track to suffer deep injury as a community – injury from which it could take us years to recover. We offer these observations in the spirit of service. We are on the ground meeting with our students, faculty and staff, and are reporting the situation as we see it.
With this in mind, we respectfully offer the following suggestions, and we recognize that others are making recommendations as well:
We do not mean this to be an exhaustive list and would observe that there may be lessons we can take from the many other colleges and universities have addressed issues of naming and institutional history.
Finally, we observe that what our community is experiencing goes beyond the issue of the naming of these two buildings. A deep distrust is settling into the community, along with a growing skepticism about whether our long-stated goals of diversity and inclusion are fully embraced by University leadership. This causes us great pain, as it does no doubt for everyone who cares deeply about this University. We affirm our willingness to work with the Board of Trustees and everyone within the University to do the hard and continuing work of assuring that the University of Richmond lives up to its values.
Respectfully,
Sandra Peart, Jepson School of Leadership Studies
Wendy Perdue, Richmond School of Law
Mickey Quinones, Robins School of Business
Patrice Rankine, School of Arts & Sciences
Jamelle Wilson, School of Professional and Continuing Studies
March 26, 2021
Perhaps like me, over the past few weeks you’ve begun to feel a sense of relief as more of our family, friends and colleagues have received the COVID-19 vaccination. We’re all ready to get back to routines that feel more normal. Alongside that sense of relief for me, though, has also been a sense of sadness and concern regarding recent developments and situations that are happening on and off our campus.
On February 25, 2021, President Crutcher sent a letter to the University community about his and the Board of Trustees’ decision to maintain the names of Ryland Hall and Freeman Hall. This decision was reached following consideration of significant historical research conducted by Shelby Driskill and Suzanne Slye, GC’19, both former students in SPCS. The reports reveal disturbing facts about Robert Ryland, the first president of the University of Richmond, and his actions and views on slavery and about Douglas S. Freeman, University Rector and trustee between 1925 and 1950 and his views on race. I encourage you to read the reports and Dr. Crutcher’s letter.
The decision to keep the name Ryland Hall and to add the name of John Mitchell, an African-American contemporary of Freeman and editor of the Richmond Planet, to Freeman Hall (renaming it Mitchell-Freeman Hall) has been met with fervent disagreement from a number of students, faculty and staff, and that disagreement continues today. This is a challenging time for our campus, but I am hopeful we will listen to each other and respect our diverse viewpoints and differences as we navigate through this situation together.
The recent acts of violence in Atlanta on March 16 against members of the Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community are unimaginable, and I know there are members of the AAPI community here in SPCS and in the broader Richmond community who feel this attack and loss acutely. There is no place for violence against anyone, regardless of motivation, and I stand with the community in condemning it.
The recent shooting in Colorado just this week is another example of the unimaginable. My heart goes out to the families of those lost on March 23 and so many others whose loss of loved ones to violence is never streamed across our newsfeeds.
At the University of Richmond, and specifically in the School of Professional and Continuing Studies, we are working diligently to listen to and learn from one another so that we can ensure all of our students, faculty and staff are fully valued and included, able to thrive in the learning environment and are equipped to contribute to our community. We want to live fully into the values of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Ubuntu is a South African term that translates as “I am because we are” and speaks to our shared humanity. When one of us celebrates, I hope we all celebrate; and when any one of us hurts in our community, I know we all hurt. I am honored to share every step of this journey with each of you.
Please know I am with you.
Jamelle S. Wilson, Dean
Like many of you, I’ve been spending a lot of time over the past several weeks thinking about all that we are watching unfold around us; and honestly, I’m feeling the weight of it all. My general nature is to be optimistic; in fact, I like to think of myself as a “glass half full” kinda girl! But the truth is, the past three weeks have been really hard.
From a daily life perspective, we’ve all been dealing with a lot since March: COVID... remote work — which feels non-stop... COVID... Zoom... thinking about when and how we will return to normal life... COVID... our kids learning from home... COVID. Then there’s the unrest that has exploded in our country and city over the past ten days. As a human being, as a citizen of this country, as a woman and as an African-American, I am struggling to make sense of the events which occurred last week in Central Park involving Christian Cooper and in Minneapolis resulting in the death of George Floyd. I find myself thinking about Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castile, Treyvon Martin, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, and so many others who have suffered and died. And I find myself thinking about my young sons, my husband, my family members, my friends. I have found myself carrying a weight of sadness for all that we’ve been experiencing in this country for centuries and what we’re living and witnessing right now across the U.S. and right here in Richmond.
My heart hurts as I’ve watched peaceful protests turn to violence and as I consider the long-term physical and psychological damage on all our communities, but especially on those communities that have been historically disadvantaged. My personal belief is that violence as an act of retaliation to injustice, including in the form of looting and rioting, is not appropriate. But when I think about from where such strong emotion grows, Dr. King’s words ring for me, “A riot is the language of the unheard.” We all must listen to what people are trying to tell us, whether people are speaking through words or through action.
Over the last several days, some people have asked me what they can or should do in this moment. Let me start by saying we should not view our response as a “to do” list or as check-the-box activities. The challenge is ever-present, so the work must be ongoing, and we must all commit for the long-term. Each year at Commencement I challenge our graduates to translate the knowledge they’ve gained and the experiences they’ve had while a student in the School of Professional and Continuing Studies into service to our community. In essence, I ask them to focus on the needs and well-being of others, even knowing they long to realize their own hopes and dreams. I believe we all share this responsibility, especially at this moment. We are beyond Commencement season, but the call to all of us is incredibly strong: I believe our city and our country need all of us to be servant leaders. A phrase coined by Robert Greenleaf in 1970, a “servant leader” is one who focuses on the growth and well-being of individuals and communities, one who see others and their needs ahead of their own.
How do we do that? The truth is we cannot see or understand others’ needs until we first see them, until we understand who they are as individuals and what their lived experiences are as human beings. This moment calls us all to live in true community — to identify at least one attribute we share and then to use that as a launch pad for authentic, difficult, ongoing, clear two way dialogue, seeking first to understand the other. This is what you’ve done or are doing in your classes in SPCS. Now take that skill into our community. Take time to learn as much as you can about the experience of people who are not in your immediate circle, who don’t look like you, whose background is different from you own. Reflect on what you learn, asking clarifying questions to gain new perspectives. Then use your new understanding and perspective to enlighten and challenge others to do the same. I am committed to do the sustained and hard work, and I encourage you to join me.
I know many of you share my concern for what we see happening around us and my commitment to improving our community. I also know you may be dealing with and working through these issues yourselves. In President Crutcher’s message to the University community on May 30, he noted several resources you may find helpful during this time. Please know that I see you, and I am thinking of each of you today. Let’s care for each other and continue to provide each other grace during these challenging times.
Take good care.
Jamelle S. Wilson, Dean
January 27, 2020
I’m writing today trusting that many of you have seen news of racist incidents that occurred on campus over the last few days, and that you’ve seen Dr. Crutcher’s recent messages in response to those incidents.
As a proud member of the University community, as the parent of a student at the University and as a resident of the Richmond region, these incidents hurt my heart. I want us to be better than this. Although this weekend’s incidents happened to students among the University’s traditional-age population, I understand that what affects some of us on campus also affects our entire community.
We are a community in SPCS: we share common goals and interests aimed at making the Richmond region a better place through liberal education, enhancing the lives and careers of those we serve. We also share respect and appreciation for the rich diversity represented in each of our peers and colleagues. It is my hope that we share Dr. Crutcher’s commitment: “... we remain fully dedicated to fostering a campus community that is safe and welcoming for people of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities.”
We all must take responsibility to call out racism, hate, and disrespect when we see it. Doing so is the only way we begin to heal and overcome. As we enter this week, I ask that we support one another as we work through the hurt: seen and unseen, spoken or silent. If you are hurting or want to talk about these incidents, please know that there are services that are available to our community through Common Ground and through CAPS. Please also know that the University is planning a campus meeting on Thursday, January 30 from 6-7:30 pm in the Alice Haynes Room of the Commons.
Thank you for your commitment to our community and to the work it will take to improve it.
Jamelle S. Wilson, Dean
The SPCS Working Group on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) was established in 2020.
Achieving a diverse, equitable and inclusive School requires that we consider how individuals experience or understand DEI as well as the extent to which school level systems and processes consider the diverse needs of those we serve and are equitable and inclusive. To that end, the Working Group on DEI has committed to consciously considering both self and systems in its programming and decision-making.
The Working Group’s goals are to ensure that all SPCS students, faculty and staff are:
Our mission in SPCS is to “enrich lives and careers for the 21st century.” For our students to achieve the social mobility our mission implies, SPCS must provide students an equitable educational experience. One driver toward that experience is our own equitable experience as faculty, staff and volunteers who represent the School.
The Working Group was established in response to the following exigencies:
The Working Group on DEI makes progress toward its goals in the following ways:
By embracing two non-negotiable approaches.
By creating a shared understanding of what DEI looks like in SPCS.
By providing follow-up sessions, workshops and/or discussions based on survey data.