Working Groups

The Working Groups will address critical issues related to: (1) Phase 1 Curriculum, (2) Phase 2 Curriculum, (3) Student Support, (4) Community Engagement, (5) Admissions, (6) Faculty/Staff Recruitment, Development and Retention, and (7) the Learning and Working Environment. The groups will meet as frequently as needed to accomplish tasks related to their individual action items, but no more than once per week. 

The Working Groups will interface with and report to one larger task force, which will also provide oversight for the group’s efforts. The Working Groups will be co-led by one medical student and one faculty/staff member, and will consist of several other members (medical students, faculty, staff, and community representatives). All members of the Working Groups will have equivalent decision-making status. The oversight group will consist of the dean, administrators, faculty and staff, student representatives on the MSC, and two additional students.

Faculty and staff members were selected from a pool of those who participate in the Diversity and Inclusion Council, department chairs or designees from each clinical department and non-clinical department, representatives from Carilion Clinic residency programs, and potentially self-nominated faculty who expressed an interest in promoting diversity efforts.

Students who expressed interest in or were nominated to serve as part of leadership of the Working Groups or of the oversight group were required to submit brief application that required them to explain their interest. Applications were reviewed by their student leaders in collaboration with the school’s chief diversity officer. Students appointed by the dean to serve on the task force and Working Groups effectively articulated their experiences with diversity and inclusion initiatives, the group process, and inclusive discussions.  

The task force’s oversight group will act as a direction-setting body that meets approximately once monthly. Expectations, goals, and milestones for focused Working Groups will be developed by the task force’s oversight group, and each of the Working Groups will provide regular updates on their progress. This oversight group, in addition to the dean, administrators, and MSC representatives, will include two student representatives.