VCU Faculty Senate

VCU Faculty should be sure to attend the Monroe Park Campus Town Meeting on Corporate Sponsored Research on September 3rd at 4:00PM. This meeting is open to all VCU faculty, students, and staff and the Task Force is seeking to learn how the VCU community views our research relationship with the corporate world.

Here is Vice-President Frank Macrina's August 5th e-mail invitation along with a link to the Task Force's web site, where comments from the July Town Hall meeting at the MCV Campus are provided......

The VCU Task Force on Corporate Sponsored Research will hold its
second Town Meeting on Wednesday, September 3, 2008, from 4:00 until 6:00
p.m. in the Commons Theater of the University Student Commons (907 Floyd
Avenue, on the Monroe Park Campus). Attendees from the MCV Campus
should note that the closest parking is the West Main Street Deck at
801 W. Main Street. Also the shuttle (Campus Connector) runs from several
stops on the MCV campus (including Sanger Hall) to the Cabell Library, just
across the street from the Student Commons.

A reminder will be sent as September 3rd approaches. I hope you
will be able to attend and add your voice to the deliberations of the Task
Force. Should you wish to submit written comments to the Task Force at any
time prior to or after the upcoming Town Meeting, please used the attached
form.

You can follow the activities of the Task Force by visiting:
http://www.research.vcu.edu/vpr/corporate_sponsor.htm .

Best regards,

Francis L. Macrina, Ph.D.
Edward Myers Professor of Dentistry and
Vice President for Research
Virginia Commonwealth University

Posted by at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In its May, 2008 meeting the VCU Faculty Senate passed the following resolution...

Resolution to Support Amendment of VCU’s Reaffirmation Statement of the Equal Opportunity Policy to Include Gender Identity and Gender Expression

Whereas, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) already protects its students, faculty, and staff from discrimination based on age, race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, veteran’s status, political affiliation, or disability, but does not include gender identity or gender expression;

Whereas, gender has come to be understood as an element of identity and expression distinct from physical sex;

Whereas, transgender, transsexual, and other gender-variant students, faculty, and staff have faced discrimination on and off campus, through threats and harassment in such activities such as employment, restroom use, housing, and health care;

Whereas, protecting its students, faculty, and staff is the responsibility of the university;
Whereas, the first step that the university should take to protect these students, faculty, and staff is to add gender identity and gender expression to the VCU Reaffirmation Statement of the Equal Opportunity Policy;

Whereas, it is essential that each student be given an equal opportunity to learn and thrive while at VCU;

Whereas, gender-variant students, faculty, and staff must be free from discrimination or harassment if they are to effectively carry out their duties and the university’s mission;
Whereas, since 1992, 147 universities, including nine of our peer institutions (New York University, Syracuse University, The Ohio State University, University of Arizona, University of Illinois–Chicago, University of Iowa, University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, University of New Mexico, and University of Southern California), have implemented a non-discrimination policy including gender identity and gender expression;

Therefore, Be It Resolved that VCU’s Reaffirmation Statement of the Equal Opportunity Policy be amended as follows:

Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution providing access to education and employment without regard to age, race, color, national origin, sex, religion, sexual orientation, veteran’s status, political affiliation, gender identity or gender expression.

Posted by at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)