{"id":135657,"date":"2023-10-18T00:03:04","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T04:03:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/?p=135657"},"modified":"2023-10-17T16:24:12","modified_gmt":"2023-10-17T20:24:12","slug":"vcu-med-school-sought-to-work-around-affirmative-action-ban-documents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/vcu-med-school-sought-to-work-around-affirmative-action-ban-documents\/","title":{"rendered":"VCU med school sought to \u2018work around\u2019 affirmative action ban: documents"},"content":{"rendered":"

‘VCU is pushing political priorities over quality medical education,’ former Penn med school dean says<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine explored ways to \u201cwork around the [Supreme Court] ruling on affirmative action\u201d during the creation of a scholarship program, according to public records documents<\/a> obtained by Do No Harm.<\/p>\n

\u201cVCU and other medical schools are trying their utmost to circumvent the Supreme Court decision striking down affirmative action,\u201d Do No Harm Chairman Stanley Goldfarb told The College Fix<\/em> via a media statement.<\/p>\n

The documents his group obtained show the Project Gabriel Scholarships Workgroup discussing ideas over the summer, after the Supreme Court prohibited<\/a> affirmative action in higher education.<\/p>\n

Project Gabriel is a special commission that was created by VCU\u2019s Office of the President to \u201cheal the wounds caused by VCU\u2019s historic ties to the institution of slavery.\u201d<\/p>\n

The scholarship would be available for \u201cthose with a historic connection to slavery.\u201d A list of challenges included questions such as \u201cHow do you determine someone\u2019s historic connection to slavery?\u201d and \u201cRestriction of affirmative action in college admission \u2013 how does this affect race-based scholarships?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWork around the ruling on affirmative action and find ways we can still help give scholarships to those students in need,\u201d the obtained notes read.<\/p>\n

Kevin Harris, the chief diversity officer at the medical school, did not respond to requests for comment sent in the past two weeks.<\/p>\n

MORE:<\/strong> Ending affirmative action is ‘white supremacy,’ Democrats say<\/a><\/p>\n

The Fix<\/em> asked what the diversity statement entails, how VCU prioritizes diversity when making hiring decisions, and if the school is trying to work around the Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard<\/em> decision.<\/p>\n

Goldfarb, a medical doctor and former associate dean of the University of Pennsylvania\u2019s medical school, criticized the Virginia university\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cVCU\u2019s thinly veiled approach includes mandated \u2018diversity statements\u2019 for job applications to affirm their commitment to DEI,\u201d he told The Fix<\/em> in his statement. “VCU is pushing political priorities over quality medical education.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey should focus on hiring the best candidates regardless of background,\u201d he said. \u201cThey must make the quality of patient care for all patients their highest priority.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the documents show that race, sexuality, and DEI work are of high priority.<\/p>\n

VCU medical school had spent months on its strategic diversity plan. A January 2023 email stated that all job applicants would need to submit a \u201cdiversity statement.\u201d<\/p>\n

The med school\u2019s faculty affairs director Katherine Mulloy also asked all hiring committees to ensure they are sufficiently diverse. The \u201cStrategic Recruitment Plan\u201d for new hires would include assistance from the \u201cProfessional and Recruitment Inclusive Champion\u201d according to one internal document.<\/p>\n

There is also a box for the \u201csearch committee composition\u201d to check boxes on representation, including gender – \u201cidentifies male, female, non-binary, genderqueer\u201d as well as a separate box for race.<\/p>\n

In case that did not capture it all, a free response box below asks hiring departments to list \u201chow this committee offers diverse representation.\u201d<\/p>\n

One VCU diversity statement asks<\/a> potential hires to discuss their \u201ccontributions to promoting diversity, inclusion and equity in their professional careers.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the \u201cGuidelines for Writing a Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,\u201d \u201cVCU\u2019s evaluation of a candidate\u2019s Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will be viewpoint-neutral.\u201d<\/p>\n

A \u201cDiversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement Rubric\u201d from the university says<\/a> potential hires will be graded poorly if the applicant \u201cparticipated in no specific [DEI] activities, or only one or two limited [DEI] activities\u201d or fails to sufficiently express \u201cknowledge of dimensions of diversity that result from different identities or perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n

As part of the Strategic Recruitment Plan, the job advertisement and description must be \u201creviewed for diversity\/inclusive language.\u201d<\/p>\n

Examples of this include \u201cusing gender-inclusive language such as \u201ctheir\u201d or \u201cthe incoming faculty,\u201d rather than \u201chis or her\u201d or \u201cshe or he.”<\/p>\n

Hiring teams should also not use language indicating they want “the ideal candidate,” the documents show.<\/p>\n

MORE:<\/strong> UC Berkeley hired professors with enough DEI points, documents show<\/a><\/p>\n

IMAGE: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine<\/p>\n

\n