Black Student Enrollment and Retention Committee

Committee Charge

Motion to Establish Ad Hoc Committee on Black Student Enrollment

  • Whereas the University Faculty Senate supports the goal of making the University a recognized highly attractive institution for Black American / African American (hereafter Black) students, as well as students of color in general;
  • Whereas the Senate recognizes that achieving this goal likely will entail changes in many areas of university life, from recruiting and admissions to campus climate and social life;
  • Whereas faculty have both unique expertise to bring to bear on many of these issues as well as a long-term stake in the continued evolution and progress of the university;
  • Whereas the work of recruiting, enrolling, and retaining Black students, and assuring Black students have a positive experience at the University of Richmond, does not fall within the sole purview of any existing Committee;

The Senate hereby moves to establish an ad hoc committee focused on increasing the application, yield, and retention rates of Black students at the University of Richmond;

Charge: 1) Examine the University's policies and practices for recruitment of Black students for undergraduate and graduate programs, including, but not limited to, canvassing current students about life on campus and the education they are offered; 2) Recommend specific policies and practices aimed at significantly improving the application, yield, and retention of Black students, particularly in our traditional undergraduate programs at Richmond; 3) Make other recommendations as may occur to the Committee as important to advancing these goals, including establishing an accountability framework to monitor progress on this issue.

The Committee will have broad latitude in how it goes about its work. However, it is expected that the Committee include the following steps in its work:

  • Ascertaining current policies and practices, as well as recommendations for changes and improvements, from existing university committees as well as staff members whose work clearly relates to these goals, such as (but not limited to) the incoming Director of Admissions for Diversity Outreach and Partnerships;
  • Speaking with current and former Black UR students to ascertain with specificity both problematic and positive aspects of their UR education as well as recommended steps to make UR more attractive to Black students;
  • Documenting as applicable existing institutional or policy factors which tend to inhibit achievement of this goal and hence should be reconsidered;
  • Learning from best practices at similarly-situated institutions;
  • Developing new ideas appropriate to our specific resources, history, and advantages that may be helpful in advancing this goal, including identification of an ongoing mechanism to track progress and ensure accountability;
  • Identifying potential new or enhanced resources to attract, support and retain Black students;
  • Make both specific, immediately actionable recommendations and identify medium and longer-term needed actions in its final report.

Term and Reporting requirements: The ad hoc committee shall be formed by April 1, 2021 and complete its work and final report by April 1, 2022. It shall provide an interim report by two weeks prior to the last meeting of the Faculty Senate in the Fall 2021 semester. (Meeting during the summer months is not expected.) The interim report may include recommendations for immediate actions to be implemented within the 2021-22 academic year.

Membership: Three faculty members from A&S, one faculty member each from RSB and JSLS, and two student members. Faculty members should be appointed based on interest and experience. Student members are to be identified and appointed by the faculty on the committee as part of their work, with approval of the UFS Committee on Committees.

Members

Chair: Shannon Jones

Faculty Membership

  • A&S: Bert Ashe
  • A&S: Miles Johnson
  • A&S: Shannon Jones
  • JSLS: Lauren Henley
  • RSB: Maia Linask
  • RSB: Sara Hanson

Student Membership

  • Katiana Isaac
  • Quell Shaw

Details

Term: Through April 1, 2022