VCU’s Staff Diversity

In late 2006 VCU conducted the Climate Survey to determine how pleased the staff, faculty and administration is with diversity among their colleagues.

Over all the survey was quite positive, but there were outliers within minority groups and the staff.

To get a better understanding of these outliers, the Equity and Diversity Committee conducted a series of three focus groups. The first was made up of faculty and staff, the second, black faculty and staff, and the third was full time staff.

The findings were startling.

The study found that adjunct faculty feels unappreciated, women aren’t as easily promoted as men, and black faculty feels that the university discriminates.

The EDC realizes that this could be a few upset staff members, but they want to address these issues to make sure they know why someone would feel this way and to insure that no one else does in the future.

They are developing a five-year diversity plan in the hopes to attract more minority administration and therefore more staff.

Gas Lines

I woke up around eight last Monday to the sound of a jackhammer eating away a chunk of asphalt on my street. I was startled and confused.

I know eight is kind of late for those that have jobs, but for a college kid, that’s really early. I went out side to see what was going on, and found a bunch of men digging up my gas meter.

That’s when I realized, it was my street’s turn to get the gas upgrade.

The City of Richmond hired the Trafford Corporation to replace the old cast iron gas lines about 10 years ago. They have been working in the Fan for about 2 years. The upgrade also improves the gas pressure going to the home.

Though most are happy the upgrades are taking place, some are upset that the construction damages the roads.

“They tear up the roads and don’t ever replace anything,” says Kyle Murphy, a Bike messenger. “They just put down a layer of dirt and potholes form about two days later.”

Murphy says it’s dangerous to ride with damaged roads. He could easily hurt is bike or himself. He doesn’t like to ride in the middle of the road, but sometimes he’s forced to, and as we all know, that’s where the cars belong.

Your chance to dance

Every Friday, VCU’s Swing Club gets down. Free and open to the public the club usually draws in about 30 members ready to dance.  The club teaches different skill levels of swing, so everyone can learn something new.

Sara Reynolds is the vice president of the club and helps teach. She has been swing dancing for almost three years.  She even showed us a few moves; watch and you’ll see it’s really not that hard.

Special plates for repeat DUI offenders

A bill requiring repeat DUI offenders to outfit their cars with a special license plate, has been put aside until 2009.

Delegate Lionel Spruill Sr. of Chesapeake proposed the bill in this year’s General Assembly session. The bright yellow license plate with red lettering must stay on the car five years after a driver gets his or her license back.

“I would not put that on my car,” said Malik Washington, “it’s ugly.”

Washington, a VCU student, says the plates won’t have an affect on drunk drivers statewide.