A-to-Z Index

Diversity Programs

Innovative Diversity Efforts Award Program - (IDEA) Grants

The goal of the Innovative Diversity Efforts Award is to provide funds to students, faculty and staff members who want to test innovative ideas and/or develop sustainable activities and projects that would enrich the diversity of JMU. Individuals, departments, units or groups submit proposals for activities designed to enhance diversity in its broadest terms including socioeconomic status and background, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability, veteran/military service status, or any combination.

History of IDEA Grants Awarded since 2006.

Diversity Enhancement Award Program

The Office of the Special Assistant to the President puts out an annual call for nomiations to be made for individuals and groups/departments that have an impact on diversity in the JMU community.

Diversity embraces people from every economic status, ethnicity, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability, veteran or military service status, or social background. The criteria that is used to select award recipients include:

  • Accomplishments, leadership and service in support of diversity enhancement
  • Achievement in recruiting, retaining, and/or graduating diverse groups of students
  • Steps toward creating an inclusive and supportive environment
  • Achievement in recruiting and/or retaining diverse groups of faculty and staff

  • Diversity Councils

    The diversity councils provide a vehicle for the semination and creation of university and departmental diversity initiatives. Each college and division have their own diversity council from which a representative attends the university council meetings. A list of current chairs is found here.

    Centennial Scholars Program

    The Centennial Scholars Program (CSP) was established in March 2004 to lower the financial barrier that bars qualified and/or under-represented students who would not be able to enroll at a four-year institution for financial reasons.

    Professor in Residence

    The Professor-In-Residence Program (PIR), an initiative from the faculty senate, is an outreach endeavor to promote the educational attainment and college aspirations of Virginia high and middle school students.

    Preparing Future Faculty

    As part of a national movement, the Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program transforms the way aspiring faculty members plan their academic careers. The program provides doctoral students and some master's or postdoctoral students, the opportunity to observe and experience faculty responsibilities at a range of academic institutions, each having different missions, student bodies, and expectations for faculty members.

    The PFF program was lunched as a partnership between the Council of Graduate Schools and the Association of American Colleges and Universities in 1993. The program has since been implemented at more than 45 doctoral degree-granting institutions and nearly 300 partner institutions in the United States.

    James Madison University's initial involvement in the PFF program was through its partnership with Howard University. To create opportunities through which diversity initiatives can be sustained, JMU is expanding its partnership program to include relations with regional institutions with larger pool of diverse graduate student population.