VCU Families

Dean of Student Advocacy Office

Vision

Educating and engaging families to become informed partners in their undergraduate student's education, development, and success.

Mission

VCU Family Programs provides resources and programs that support student success and an inclusive community for family engagement.

Objectives

To accomplish our mission, we:

  • Serve as an advocate for families by facilitating communication with the University and creating a culture of mutual understanding;
  • Develop and implement programs and resources that inform and educate families about support services, critical issues, potential barriers and topics relevant to student success;
  • Design and sponsor programs that promote family involvement, leadership, opportunities for participation in their student's experience and connections with other VCU families;
  • Improve the resources provided to first-generation; Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC); lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ); and post-traditional students and families and enhance their engagement with the VCU community;
  • Provide opportunities for families to support programs and services of VCU, the Division of Student Affairs, and the Student Emergency Fund.

Values

We embrace and embody the VCU Division of Student Affairs values of student success, diversity, integrity, wellness and community.

Statement of Inclusion

VCU Family Programs is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in our work with families. We embrace a multidimensional concept of family that includes families of origin and families of choice. We recognize students receive support from various relationships and contexts, and we celebrate the diversity of these family structures. We create an environment that fosters inclusive opportunities in support of all members of our community (families, students, staff and stakeholders) by:

  • Prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion at the forefront of our work;
  • Developing and promoting culturally conscious, respectful, and transformational programs and resources with consultation from our community;
  • Upholding an intersectional social justice approach by centering and celebrating the varied, unique, and multiple identities held by our community; and
  • Advocating for and centering the experiences of first-generation, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and post-traditional students and families.