Celebrate our Diversity!

HR Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion


The HR Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee was established in May 2020, and in partnership with UVA's Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and the Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (EOCR), promotes awareness of and respect for diversity among UVA staff and faculty; advocates for inclusion and inclusive practices and policies; and ensures equity in human resources programs and processes. Current DEI committee chairs are Brian Ford and Kimberlyn McDonald, Senior HR Business Partners. John Kosky, VP & CHRO is the HR DEI Executive Sponsor.

President Jim Ryan on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

In President Ryan's UVA Today article about DEI, he asserted that "Colleges should continue to promote the core elements of DEI, as these efforts are crucial to ensuring opportunity and access, attracting and retaining the most talented people, creating a vibrant campus culture, and promoting a richer and more robust exchange of ideas." He notes that critics fall into two camps about DEI: those who embrace the concept but who are concerned about overreach, and those "who would like to see DEI disappear altogether." His article looks for common ground among the camps.

He goes on to define diversity as "not just race, ethnicity, and gender, but a wide range of other factors and characteristics, including geography, socioeconomic status, first-generation status, disability status, religion, age, sexual orientation, viewpoint, ideology, and special talents" and equity as "an effort to ensure equal opportunity, not equal results." He defines inclusion as "an effort to make everyone feel like they belong and are full and welcome members of the community."

He concludes, saying, "To create a community that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive, those in leadership positions have to take actions that actually further those goals – through their admissions processes; their hiring and retention practices; and in the myriad decisions they make about rooming policies, the food to serve, the events to celebrate, the spaces to create for students, and who in their community they choose to honor." 

Read the full DEI article.

FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH

BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENTS:

In the Community:

Looking Back, Seeing Now,” an art project documenting Fluvanna County’s Black ancestry, is on display at the Fluvanna Public Library. This project aims to memorialize the continuing thread of life and community in Fluvanna County, connecting the lives of 150 years ago to the present. The exhibit will travel to Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital in Albemarle County in June, and will be at The Center at the Belvedere in Charlottesville in August.

UVA Office of African-American Affairs: 

Black History Month 2025: "Celebrating Resilience" - Join us throughout February for a variety of engaging events that celebrate the rich history, culture, and contributions of the Black community and its remarkable resilience.

🌟 Be sure to check our Black History Month calendar for information on dates, times, and locations.

UVA Health-Sponsored Events:

Friday, Feb. 7 | 12 noon | Acknowledging Our Contributions Across UVA Health | Pinn Hall 2ABC

Registration Required | Lunch will be served. Keynote speaker Rudolph Beverly, Manager, UVA Health Transportation and Distribution, will share insights and reflections on the history, culture, and contributions of the Black community. Engage in meaningful discussions and connect with others who are passionate about diversity and inclusion.

Friday, Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m. | Black History Month Gospel Concert | Paramount Theater | Registration required for this free event

The University of Virginia Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion presents Black History Month Gospel Concert. This year’s Black History Month Gospel Concert will feature Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Todd Dulaney, and Amber Bullock, former contestant and winner of BET’s “Sunday Best.”

A pre-show featuring UVA’s own Black Voices Gospel Choir will begin at 6 p.m.

This event has reached capacity. There will be a standby line outside of the venue starting one hour prior to the event. If you wish to attend and were unable to register for tickets, we recommend arriving early and waiting in this line as a limited number of tickets will likely be released shortly before the event starts.

Friday, Feb. 21 | 11:30 a.m | University Medical Center West Complex Historical Tour

Registration Required | Meet at the West Complex Courtyard

Join the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement to discuss the history of race and how it has shaped our institution. Concludes with lunch in the Old Medical School Auditorium. Read more about the tour initiated by Dan Cavanaugh, Curator of Historical Collections, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library.

Monday, Feb. 24 | 12 noon | Memorial to Enslaved Laborers Tour | Registration Required

Learn more about the permanent tribute to enslaved individuals and families who built and maintained the University of Virginia, and the history of race and how it has shaped our institution. (Recorded virtual tour available now).


Thursday, Feb. 27 | 12 noon | DEI Book of The Month Discussion: “Trauma and Race: A Path to Well-Being”

Registration Required | Guest Speaker Rev. Dr. Micah McCreary,  President, New Brunswick Theological Seminary, New Jersey. Co-facilitated by UVA Health's Kimberley Barker, MLS, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, and Melody M. Pannell, DMin., MSW, M.Div., MACE, GC, Director, ODCE.


HR DEI Committee Listen & Learn Session Recordings

The HR DEI Committee sponsors occasional Lunch & Learn sessions for HR staff and now, you too, can view recordings of these sessions and leave with a better understanding of your DEI IQ, hear discussions about diversity, the path to leadership, trials, triumphs, and a broader discussion on gender in America. Additional sessions will be posted as they are recorded and become available.

DEI Listen & Learn Sessions:

LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Gary Nimax, Chair of LGBTQ+ Committee at UVA

Women in Sports: The Unfair Advantage, Bonnie Hagerman (Additional reading below)

The concept of "just transition" in Estonia, Ivan Sergejev, Architect

The Iran Revolution, Dr. Maryam Zehtabi

Black History Month Panel

Women's History Month Panel

Hispanic Heritage Month

Throughout my career in human resources in higher education, I remain committed to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion as a fundamental part of our mission and will continue to take deliberate action to ensure DEI principles are at the foundation of how we approach our work. Without clear strategies in DEI, most organizations struggle with making substantial progress on DEI outcomes and create lasting and measurable change. John Kosky, Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer Full position statement

Resources

Explore our list of DEI resources. While not a comprehensive list, you will find training opportunities, information on reporting an incident or barrier, filing a complaint, a link to the office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights, and a glossary of terms. Interested in an event, conference, lecture or seminar? Search the UVA Events Calendar to learn what is scheduled throughout the year.

  • Education and Training

    If you have experience facilitating DEI-related conversations or educating about related knowledge and skills, take a look at UVA HR’s Education and Training page to complete the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Facilitator/Educator Database informational form and to learn more about their course bundles, programs, team workshops, LinkedIn Learning, and more!

    Education and Training
  • Connecting to Our Community

    Discover Black Cville website - Discover Black culture right here in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Black residents are an integral part of what makes the region a wonderful place to live, visit and explore.

  • UVA's Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (EOCR) Reporting Options

    The University encourages every member of our community to promptly report any instance of abuse or mistreatment, bias, discrimination, harassment, etc. or barriers to access for individuals with disabilities. See below for several online reporting options (please note that these are NetBadge protected):

    UVA EOCR website
  • Inclusive Excellence

    UVA is implementing the strategic Inclusive Excellence (IE) framework to synergize and support our collective diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts. The collaborative IE model for organizational change has been a national movement in postsecondary education since 2005 and calls for higher education to address diversity, inclusion, and equity as critical to achieving excellence.

    The Inclusive Excellence Plan for UVA Human Resources focuses on applying the Inclusive Excellence framework and making substantive change within the HR team before sharing and applying what is learned to benefit the institution as a whole. HR is in a unique and critical position to not only increase diversity and inclusion within our team, but also to lead the way from an operations standpoint with this critical work. Because HR impacts every employee at UVA, it is incumbent upon HR to play a foundational and key role in systemic change at the University. The research on DEI is clear; a diverse workforce can improve innovation, attract and retain talent, increase productivity, and better customer service.

    Inclusive Excellence website
  • Office for DEI Learning Resources

    The University’s Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion compiled information about a wide range of diversity, equity, inclusion, civil rights, and anti-racism learning resources, recommended by members of the UVA community. While not an exhaustive list, it provides a variety of ways to learn about histories, ideas, strategies, and skills.

    Learning Resources
  • UVA Events Calendar

    The University hosts an array of conferences, symposia, and special events relating to diversity, equity, inclusion, civil rights, and anti-racism. Check the UVA Calendar often to learn about additional opportunities throughout the year.

    UVA Events Calendar
  • Glossary

    Our words can be used to engage, connect, and empower each other. They can also be used to divide us. Because of this, it is important to promote an understanding of commonly used terms for authentic conversations about race and equality.

    See below for definitions of commonly used terms:

    AGEISM

    Discrimination against individuals because of their age, often based on stereotypes.

    ANTI-RACISM

    Actively opposing discrimination based on race by advocating for changes in political, economic, and social life. Today anti-racism is most closely associated with Ibram X. Kendi. His 2019 book, "How to Be an Antiracist," discusses the concepts of racism and his proposals for anti-racist individual actions and systemic changes.

    BELONGING

    A sense of feeling secure and supported by a group where one can be their authentic self.

    BIAS

    Showing preference or favor either positively or negatively for a person, group, or community.

    BIPOC

    An acronym for black, indigenous and people of color. 

    CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE (CQ)

    The ability to relate and work effectively across cultures. 

    DISABILITY

    As defined by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), a disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

    DIVERSITY

    Differences that occur among individuals, including but not limited to race, gender, ethnicity, identity, marital status, and age, etc.

    EQUITY

    Fair treatment in access, opportunity, and advancement for all individuals.

    INCLUSION

    The state of being valued, respected, and supported within a group and having the opportunity to contribute and fully participate.

    INSTITUTIONAL RACISM (SYSTEMIC RACISM)

    A form of racism embedded in laws and regulations that create different outcomes for different racial groups, often leading to discrimination in the criminal justice system, health care, housing, education, etc.

    MICROAGGRESSIONS

    Verbal or nonverbal behaviors such as snubs or slights, whether intentional or unintentional, that occur in everyday interactions and are targeted to a specific group.

    PRIVILEGE

    An advantage, right or immunity enjoyed by some individuals or groups but not by all.

     

    For a more robust list of terms and additional resources, please visit the following:

  • VIRGINIA Magazine article: Queer History

Zoom Backgrounds

Support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by downloading a Zoom background and using it during your meetings! Right-click on each link to 'Save As' as an image to your laptop or device

Andes Mountain Landscape

Andes mountains zoom background

Faces of Various Skin Colors

Faces zoom background

Multi-Color Hands Reaching Up

Multi-Color Hands zoom background

Stripes of Various Skin Colors

Stripes zoom background

UVA Trumpeter John D-Earth

John D'Earth zoom background

LGBTQ+ Pride Month

LGBTQ+ Zoom background