Strategic plan

Diversity driving excellence is the conceptual model and theme for the Division for Inclusive Excellence strategic plan. Our division's strategic plan aligns with Theme IV of VCU's strategic plan for 2018-2025, Quest 2025: Together We Transform.

Defining our goals

It is our belief that diversity through inclusion and engagement drive an organization’s performance. For diversity to have the greatest impact, people must perceive their environment as fair, open, enlightening and empowering. These inclusive environments lead not only to greater diversity, but to greater engagement among faculty and staff, which in turn has a positive influence on student performance.

Theme IV of Quest 2025 identifies three goals that help us translate our philosophy of diversity and inclusion into practices related to excellence and success:

• Advance institutional excellence through a commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity fostered through a culture of appreciation and respect
• Build and sustain the infrastructure to enhance diversity, inclusion and equity at all levels of the university to support teaching, research, scholarship, creative expression and service
• Establish diversity as an imperative in the development and implementation of strategies and policies and in decisions regarding resource allocation

Full details can be found beginning on page 17 of Quest 2025.

Measuring our progress

To track our progress with implementing Theme IV, we've established a diversity index, which is a score derived through our VCU Climate Report. These measures prove to be reliable and have a predictive relationship to factors such as:

• Global satisfaction
• Underrepresented minority recruitment
• Faculty/staff retention
• Survey participation rates
• Diversity and inclusion participation rates
• Awards and recognition
• Student success
• National prominence