Advancing Equity

In February 2019, racist photos surfaced from the 1984 student yearbook page of our most notable alumnus, Governor Ralph Northam, MD. The picture was shockingly abhorrent and absolutely antithetical to the principles, morals and values we hold and espouse of our institution. Racism and discrimination in any form is not acceptable.

Unfortunately, upon further examination of past yearbooks, we discovered other disturbing images. But we were not alone. One national media outlet scoured 900 yearbooks from 120 large and small, public and private schools and found more than 200 examples of offensive or racist material at schools across 25 states.

With the public release of the offensive photos, our President and Provost Richard V. Homan, MD, oversaw a comprehensive, institution-wide response and pledged full disclosure of all findings. At Dr. Homan’s direction, the institution hired a well-respected law firm to conduct an independent investigation into the particulars behind the offensive photo. Dr. Homan also commissioned an independent Community Advisory Board for Diversity and Inclusion to review the culture of our school and to make recommendations for improvement. Both reports have been made available to the news media and the general public and are available online.

While we cannot change the events of the past, we can use these events as reminders of the importance of our ongoing work toward diversity and inclusion.

• Official Statements
• McGuire Woods Report
• "We have work to do" editorial by Dr. Richard V. Homan
• "(National) Review of 900 yearbooks finds blatant racism," USA Today

Promoting a strong culture of inclusion has been a top priority for us over the last several years and we already have begun to see the results of our hard work.

In March 2019, the school received national recognition of its efforts by earning the Institutional Excellence Award from the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. The organization presents the annual award to recognize a single institution of higher education that has “demonstrated measurable progress in promoting and sustaining innovative diversity efforts within their campus community.”

Additionally, in Fall 2019, we admitted the most diverse incoming class in our school’s history.

“Our diversity in gender, ethnicity, military service, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical ability, economic status and rural/urban background makes us strong,” Thomas Kimble, MD, Associate Dean of Admissions and Enrollment said. “This is an amazing incoming class of women and men from various backgrounds, experiences and talents.” 

Enhancing equity on campus has been a priority for Dr. Homan since he became Dean of the School of Medicine in 2012 and created the Diversity and Inclusion office. That commitment continued when he became President and Provost in 2013.

The campus-wide initiative he launched in April 2019 resulted in the Strategic Plan 2020 – 2024: Advancing Health Equity and Inclusion for Community and Academic Impact.

To develop the plan, more than 100 of our faculty, staff and students came together in five working groups — Education, Community, Patient Care, Research and Administration — and an Advisory Committee. In September 2019, the final four-year plan, with a budget of $7.3 million, was reviewed and unanimously approved by the Board of Visitors.

Brian Martin, PhD, MBA, is our Associate Dean for Administration in the School of Health Professions, Director of the Master of Public Health and Doctor of Health Sciences programs, and Professor in the School of Health Professions. Yet he didn’t think twice about joining the Advisory Committee.

“This project could have been approached as just checking a box,” Dr. Martin says, “but I didn’t witness any of that. This wasn’t just a corporate band-aid. People were genuinely engaged, and their ideas were creative and innovative.”

MD student LaKeisha Majette, a member of the Strategic Plan’s Community working group, says “we weren't afraid to start from the inside and take a hard look at itself.”

While we cannot change the events of the past, we can use these events as reminders of the importance of our ongoing work toward diversity and inclusion. We will continue to build on its recent significant successes in enhancing its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts through its 2020 - 2024 strategic plan and additional actions taken in response to the CABDI report recommendations.

• Read the full EVMS Strategic Plan 2020-2024
• Read the  Community Advisory Board’s Report