Feature Stories

Share this Story

Virginia Wesleyan University Joins Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance

University is one of 60 inaugural members to collectively address issues of racial diversity, equity and inclusion


University News | November 30, 2020

Virginia Wesleyan University President Scott D. Miller announced today that he has joined with presidential colleagues from 60 National Liberal Arts Colleges to form the Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance (LACRELA).    

VWU is one of the inaugural members of the partnership, facilitated by the University of Southern California Race and Equity Center.

"Virginia Wesleyan is committed to building a campus culture of diversity, inclusion, and equity," said Dr. Miller. "We must always work and strive to deepen our understanding and sensitivity regarding all perspectives surrounding diversity."
 
Membership in the alliance includes a variety of professional learning opportunities for faculty and staff and an online repository of resources and tools including downloadable equity-related rubrics, readings, case studies, videos, and slide decks, available 24/7 for every employee across all levels.
 
The Center’s National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates (NACCC) has been administered to more than 500,000 students at colleges and universities in every geographic region of the United States. The NACCC is a rigorous, expert-validated quantitative survey that measures belonging and inclusion, the frequency and depth of cross-racial interactions, students’ appraisals of institutional commitment to diversity and inclusion, and other related topics. As an alliance member, VWU will not only benefit from the student survey, but will also be among the first to utilize the center’s two workplace climate surveys, one for staff at all levels and another for faculty (including full-time, adjunct, and part-time instructors). This trio of campus climate surveys will work on a three-year rotational basis: the student survey in year one, the faculty survey in year two, and the staff survey in the third membership year. The center will manage data collection and analysis.
 
Presidents of alliance member colleges will meet quarterly to share strategies, seek advice, and identify ways to leverage the Alliance for collective impact on racial equity in higher education. In addition, presidents will occasionally come together to craft rapid responses to urgent racial issues confronting the nation. Alliance presidents will collaboratively determine what to do; what to say to their respective campus communities; and what they can communicate in one unified voice to policymakers, journalists, and other audiences.
 
"As a residential campus, we provide our students the ability to practice living, learning, and collaborating with others in an environment that is both challenging and supportive in all aspects," said Dr. Miller. "I believe the University’s active participation in the alliance will help us progress in our goal."
 
Virginia Wesleyan University is among the most diverse institutions in the nation, ranked 24th in "Ethnic Diversity" among National Liberal Arts Colleges and named a Top Performer on Social Mobility by U.S. News & World Report in 2020. The University has also distinguished itself as a community dedicated to equal opportunity for all students, faculty, and staff and was recognized this year as an Equity & Inclusion College of Distinction.