Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We strive to promote a culture of diversity, inclusivity, and equity in a supportive learning and work environment.

The College of Health Professions prioritizes the core value of individual dignity. We strive to promote a culture of diversity, inclusivity, and equity in a supportive learning and work environment. We are committed to creating a community that embraces and honors students’, staff, and faculty members’ diverse backgrounds, identities and lived experiences. We aim to reflect the full breadth and depth of diversity of the Commonwealth of Virginia in terms of race, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic class, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, and disability identity.

Angela Duncan, Dr. Tomika Ferguson, Dean Andrew P. Daire, Ph.D., and Dr. Stephan Davis Every student deserves an exceptional education that includes learning to effectively serve individuals and communities that reflect the rich diversity of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Faculty and staff are responsible for creating an educational and research environment that is welcoming and inclusive of all students. Faculty and staff use instructional approaches that foster intellectual contributions while encouraging critical thinking and freedom of expression. Our faculty have the expertise to lead efforts in ensuring patients, consumers, community members, families, and communities receive high-touch, respectful, and humanizing support within the context of evolving health care technology.

We commit to this statement because it is consistent with the values of both the College of Health Professions and of Virginia Commonwealth University. A climate of inclusion and diversity aligns with an overwhelming body of evidence-based health care and decades of health and workplace research. Finally, a culture of inclusivity and diversity is imperative to meet our College’s responsibility to train effective health care professionals and generate the highest quality scientific research that advances health.

DEI News | Upcoming DEI Events | DEI Past Events | DEI Committee | Resources

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at CHP

Historic Encore Webinar in The National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) and the VCU Department of Health Administration Series

At the beginning of 2023, NAHSE and the VCU Department of Health Administration announced a three-part webinar series offered in partnership to advance the department’s inclusive leadership education initiative. After receiving positive evaluations of the three-part webinar series from students, faculty, and early careerists across the nation, Lisa Mallory, PhD., chief executive officer of NAHSE and Stephan Davis, DNP, MHSA, FACHE, FAAN, executive director of inclusive leadership education for the Department of Health Administration, and the NAHSE education committee decided to offer an “encore” webinar tackling a topic that has never been addressed through the leading professional associations for healthcare leadership.

Nurse Anesthesia events drive excellence through continuing education and diversity

The College of Health Professions Department of Nurse Anesthesia recently hosted the inaugural Nurse Anesthesia Faculty Associates (NAFA) RVA conference. The four-day event featured continuing education activities on diverse and clinically-relevant anesthesia topics. At the culmination of the conference, faculty participants had the opportunity to engage with students, alumni and CRNAs.

MSNBC/NBC News Journalist Lui Encourages College of Health Professions Students to Lead with Eyes on Inclusivity, Compassion

Richard Lui has been on national TV for 15 years. And it took him a while to get comfortable with that.

VCU students open Hopewell grade schoolers’ eyes to science at STEAM Day

Samantha Dua, a senior majoring in medical laboratory sciences at the VCU College of Health Professions, and her friend Sarah Plutkis showed off their “magical dancing corn” experiment with baking soda, water and vinegar as one third-grader exclaimed, “Why are the bubbles picking up the corn? That’s so weird!”

Upcoming DEI Events

October 3 - Voices for Change

12:00 - 1:00 PM, College of Health Professions Auditorium
Presented by Dallas Ducar, MSN, APRN, FAAN, CEO of Transhealth

As the CEO of Transhealth and an expert on gender-affirming care, Dallas Ducar actively works to empower patients and restore a community focus to healthcare. She serves as the Co-Chair of the Primary Alliance, is on the LGBTQI Federal Policy Roundtable, and advocates for gender-affirming care nationally.

Past DEI Events

Advancing Inclusive Andragogy

Our St. Philip Experience

The Science of Trustworthiness

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

The College of Health Professions Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee provides access and opportunities to platforms for learning, engaging and sharing around issues of social justice, equality, equity, and access.

Creating an equal and welcoming learning environment is the responsibility of all of us. The College of Health Profession is committed to providing opportunities and resources to promote changes that impact our students, staff, faculty, and learning environment. The CHP diversity statement echoes this call.

The DEI committee is composed of VCU faculty, staff and students who foster a supportive and welcoming workplace environment in which employees and students of all backgrounds and demographic characteristics can work together.