MyVU

Identity centers offer adjusted resources and support for VU community in response to COVID-19

The Provost’s Office for Inclusive Excellence, through its identity centers, has continued to promote academic success, cultural and professional education, and inclusivity and belonging for the Vanderbilt community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. OIE has made this shift by creating innovative virtual programming and offering online services for students, faculty and postdoctoral scholars.

“Cultivating spaces of belonging, care and well-being, especially during a time when many in our community are experiencing stress, anxiety or isolation due to COVID-19, is of critical importance to our work in the Provost’s Office for Inclusive Excellence,” said Interim Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives William H. Robinson. “OIE and the identity centers are here for the university community, and I am proud of the new ways we have found to connect and engage with students, faculty members and postdoctoral scholars at this time.”

OIE identity Centers. (Clockwise from top left) Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center; Office of the University Chaplain and Religious Life; Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center; K.C. Potter Center (LGBTQI Life) (Vanderbilt University)
OIE identity centers (clockwise from top left) the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center; the Office of the University Chaplain and Religious Life; the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center; and the K.C. Potter Center (LGBTQI Life). (Vanderbilt University)

Some of the adjusted resources, programming and support offered across the centers in response to COVID-19 include:

Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center

Office of the University Chaplain and Religious Life

Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Life

  • Virtual affinity group meetings
  • Online writing consultations
  • Virtual office hours
  • Remote STEM tutoring
  • Virtual Lavender Celebration

Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center

  • Remote Writing Studio appointments
  • Virtual Yoga Class with Jo-Jo Jackson
  • Virtual Drop-in Tutoring hours
  • Remote STEM mentoring
  • Online Chemistry and Calculus Club

For more information about the OIE identity centers and how they are continuing to sustain and build community, sign up for their weekly or monthly newsletters and connect with the identity centers by visiting their websites.

Led by Robinson, the Office for Inclusive Excellence supports the identity centers and their efforts toward building and strengthening inclusivity and belonging for students, faculty and postdoctoral scholars at Vanderbilt University. Learn more about the Office for Inclusive Excellence though its website.

 To stay informed on updates and announcements from the university related to COVID-19, please visit vu.edu/coronavirus.