Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Posting Details

Employees hired into Administrative and Professional positions posted on or after July 1, 2017, will be governed by and, if employed on July 1, 2018 will move into the new University Human Resources System. For additional information, go to http://greatplace.vcu.edu.

Position Number F66780 Is this employee on a H1B Visa? Position Type Teaching and Research Faculty Rank Open Working Title Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion School/Unit School of Medicine Department School of Medicine Number of Months 12 Tenure Status Open Grant funded position? No
Mission or Goal of Unit

The mission of the School of Medicine is to provide preeminent education to physicians and scientists in order to improve the quality of health care for humanity. Through innovative, scholarly activity and a diverse educational context, the School seeks to create and apply new knowledge, and to provide and continuously improve systems of medical and science education. Furthermore, it is our mission to develop more effective healthcare practices to address the needs of the diverse populations we serve and to provide distinguished leadership in the advancement of medicine and science.

Chief purpose of this position in support of above mission or goal

The Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ( AKA “Chief Diversity Officer”) has a key leadership role in the School of Medicine. This position will lead and coordinate the School of Medicine’s diversity, equity and inclusive excellence initiatives in all academic endeavors, research, and teaching. The individual will partner with key stakeholders in the school, Health System, university, and community. Note that incumbents without a faculty background are welcome to apply and will be considered as long as required qualifications are met. We welcome all interested and qualified applicants for this very important and exciting role.

Position Responsibilities

The Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ( SADDEI ) will lead the office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ( DEI ) in the School of Medicine ( SOM ), reporting directly to the Dean, and will partner and collaborate with the VCU VP for Institutional Equity and the DEI officer for the VCU Health System. The SADDEI will work collaboratively with the dean’s senior leadership team in the School of Medicine, including the other Senior Associate Deans and the Department Chairs. The Senior Associate Dean DEI will have the following responsibilities:

Scope:

• Ensure that faculty, staff and students have an equitable place to work and learn, regardless of their race, gender, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, or disability.
• Support the School’s goals and objectives of providing quality programs, academic offerings, pedagogy and direct service.
Initiatives:
• In collaboration with senior leadership, lead, plan and implement diversity initiatives and activities that interact readily and effectively with student affinity groups, students, faculty and staff from underrepresented populations, and all members of the SOM community.
• Work with senior leadership in designing and implementing institution-wide changes to ensure diversity, equity and respect for all faculty, staff, students and patients. Identify areas of opportunity, develop recommended courses of action, and drive implementation.
• Lead strategic, innovative initiatives that institutionalize diversity, inclusion, and equity throughout all aspects of the School’s operations.
• Review SOM policies to ensure support of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Enrollment and Hiring:

• Collaborate with Human Resources and the Office of Faculty Affairs, and the Office of Faculty Recruitment and Retention to enhance recruitment, hiring, promotion and retention of faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds and experiences,
• Facilitate opportunities for student training and development, collaborate with admissions to enhance pipeline programs, recruitment, enrollment and retention of diverse medical and graduate students

Education:

• Serve as a leading expert in developing and providing DEI educational programs to the staff, faculty and students, and lead review of curricula to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion compliance and innovation.
• Provide strategic and operational leadership on addressing topics such as health equity, health disparities, race and racism in medicine.
• Incumbent may also teach within an academic discipline

Accountability:

• Work with the School’s reporting mechanisms to respond to bias-related incidents; make strategic and proactive recommendations based on outcomes.
• Design and implement metrics to monitor and evaluate impact and progress in diversity, equity, and inclusion; develop reports on program effectiveness and make recommendations for program enhancement and improvement.
• Support Human Resources colleagues in overseeing the School’s Affirmative Action Plan and educate business unit leaders; develop and report goals.

Community and Networking:

• Build relationships with leaders, stakeholders and Human Resources colleagues to drive diversity-related messages throughout the School; collaborate with SOM Communications and Web Team to increase awareness of diversity, equity and inclusion policies, practices and programs.
• Ensure diversity is reflected in the workforce/workplace and in business activities, including marketing materials, suppliers/vendors and community-facing efforts.
• Advocate for and provide executive oversight of diverse spheres of influence such as diversity councils, system resource groups, and teammate networks, and ensure their strategic impact on the system.
• Identify, develop and foster relationships with relevant external organizations, thought-leaders, partners and vendors. Represent the SOM with diversity-focused organizations, such as the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Diversity and Inclusion, regarding diversity issues that affect the health system and community.

Change and Change Management:

• Maintain knowledge on current and emerging developments/trends for assigned area(s) of responsibility; assess the impact, and collaborate with senior management to incorporate new trends and developments into current and future strategies.
• Direct and enhance the School’s initiatives by positively influencing and supporting change management and/or departmental/enterprise initiatives within assigned area(s) of responsibility.
• Provide subject matter expertise to team members and applicable internal/external stakeholders on complex assignments/projects for his/her assigned area(s) of responsibility.
• In collaboration with Human Resources, Centers of Excellence & Business Leaders, develop and implement specific enterprise diversity objectives and business plans to align inclusion initiatives with business strategies & metrics focusing on the workplace, workforce, marketplace and community.
• Serve as a change agent, consultant, thought-leader, influencer and subject matter expert on diversity, equity and inclusion related issues that impact the School.
• Drive innovation in diversity, equity and inclusion action planning. Ensure accountability for follow up.

Required Qualifications

• Graduate degree including, MS, PhD, MD, MEd, EdD or comparable credential
• Specific training in diversity and inclusion
• Previous experience building or expanding a program, department or group within an organization.
• Demonstration of successful collaborative leadership.
• Politically astute and able to work well with people at all levels – university, hospital, community, faculty, and staff. A reputation as a consensus builder and someone who can resolve conflict for the betterment of the organization.
• Unimpeachable integrity and personal ethics.
• Strong organization and process management skills.
• High energy coupled with a strong work ethic and a desire to have a meaningful impact.
• The ability to cultivate a vision, strategic plan, and engage others based on the strategic landscape of academic medicine.
• A skill set that includes analytical ability, ethical decision making, financial and intellectual acumen, managing teams, multi-tasking, creative problem solving, resilience, strategist, and a visionary perspective
• The ability to engage stakeholders in change efforts that are incremental or transformational, leveraging evidence-based practice, data, and a focus on achieving results even in the face of obstacles.
• The ability to leverage a political style of leadership that aligns the interests of multiple stakeholders using a team-centered approach that is always mindful of competing interests and the need to create alignment.
• The ability to speak and write in a clear and concise manner that frames diversity as fundamental to organizational excellence, inspiring others, aligning the organizations and the community’s interests.
• The ability to successfully navigate the hierarchy, tradition, competitiveness, and at times, the exclusionary culture of academic medicine.
• The ability to observe and define new ways of doing things.
• Must have a high degree of cultural intelligence and technical mastery of diversity and inclusion strategy in academic medicine.
• Willingness to engage broadly with VCU as an institutional leader and to be a highly visible ambassador for SOM both internally and in Richmond’s and Virginia’s communities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Seasoned educator and administrator who possesses national recognition in the area of diversity and inclusion, preferably in academic health care and health sciences.
• Successful administrative and leadership experience at an academic institution.
• Ability to contribute in a highly matrixed academic environment as a member of the SOM leadership team.
• Outgoing and personable demeanor and a track record of fair negotiation and compromise.
• Ability to see the bigger picture of issues and the role of the School of Medicine.
• Knowledge regarding the shifting identity of today’s patients, the realities of ethnic and racial health disparities, and their implications for health care.


Date Posted 08/21/2020 Open Until Filled Yes Application Deadline Date Proposed Hire Date 01/01/2021 Type of Search National Application Process/Additional Information

Interested applicants must apply online at www.vcujobs.com. Please provide a CV, letter of intent, diversity statement, and the names and contact information for three professional references. Guidelines for preparing your diversity statement can be found at this link: https://provost.vcu.edu/faculty/prospective/

Posted Salary Quick Link https://www.vcujobs.com/postings/100315 Diversity Statement Information Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Applicant Documents
Required Documents

1. Cover Letter/Letter of Application
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
3. Diversity Statement (Required for all Faculty)

Optional Documents

1. Other Document
2. Reference Letter - 1
3. Reference Letter - 2
4. Reference Letter - 3