Strategic Plan

Thriving & Inclusive Community

Thriving and Inclusive University Community

Students, faculty, and staff will reach their full potential and thrive in an inclusive University community.

The University of Richmond will serve as a model institution in which all members challenge themselves and one another to engage fully in the life of the University, reach their full potential, and contribute to a robust intellectual community. As we prepare the next generation of global leaders, we will center well-being, foster dynamic engagement across a wide range of perspectives and experiences, and create a learning community where all individuals are valued and respected.

Initiatives

Create a comprehensive well-being initiative for students that would strengthen and align programs (e.g. student health, recreation and wellness, CAPS) that support both high achievement and a well-balanced life.
Recruit, hire, and retain more diverse faculty and staff.
Ensure that high-impact practices (such as living-learning communities, capstone projects, internships, research opportunities for students, study abroad, and community-based learning) are of the highest quality and accessible to all undergraduates.
Continue to enhance the accessibility of our institutional spaces so that they support the full participation of our community members.
Redesign and program campus venues to provide vibrant social spaces that support the variety of opportunities that students seek.
Develop and implement an ambitious Athletics Strategic Plan that helps to ensure that student-athletes are able to take full advantage of a Richmond education, supports competitive success of the University’s Division I program, and imagines new ways for Athletics to contribute to a thriving University community.
Acknowledge the essential contributions of all faculty and staff to the University’s mission and ambitions.
Provide professional development and mentoring opportunities that support rewarding career paths and encourage faculty and staff to engage fully in the life of the University.

Progress Highlights

Updated 2/19

When we welcome new Spiders to Richmond, we want them to know that they have joined an exemplary intercultural community where students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds participate fully in the life of the institution, reach their full potential, and thrive together. To that end:

The President’s Advisory Committee on Making Excellence Inclusive is moving toward issuing their report and recommendations to the University community by June 30, 2019. Their work will be informed by the findings of the Interim Coordinating Council for Thriving, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity, as well as a campus climate review conducted by Keeling & Associates last semester. More than 175 faculty, staff, and students provided their perspectives for the climate assessment.
The Presidential Commission for University History and Identity began its work in December and is exploring how the University’s history is recorded, preserved, and made accessible; is re-examining our history to identify people and narratives that were previously excluded; and will recommend ways to acknowledge and communicate our history inclusively. The Commission will provide an initial report in summer 2019.
A group of student leaders submitted a thoughtful report requesting dedicated multiuse, multicultural space — a need that was likewise identified during the strategic planning process. With involvement from many areas of the University, we have designated a pilot space in Whitehurst Hall that has undergone preliminary renovations. A team of students and administrators will form an advisory group to help promote and assess use of the space in the pilot phase.
Central to our thriving and inclusion work is a comprehensive well-being initiative to strengthen and align programs that support both high achievement and a well-balanced life. We are seeing remarkable generosity from alumni, parents, and friends in this area and remain on schedule with planning and fundraising to begin construction on the Well-Being Center in spring 2019. The state-of-the-art facility will serve as a hub for student health, supporting students in a holistic manner and fostering the resilience that will serve them throughout their lives.