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Culture and ethnicity

Latino Student Association

Issues of culture and ethnicity run deep in shaping Richmond’s history, and the region is experiencing exciting and significant growth in its ethnic and cultural diversity.

If you’re interested in relevant scholarship and engagement, there are a wealth of campus and community resources that focus on the issues of culture, ethnicity and diversity.

  • College and campus initiatives
  • Academic programs
  • Community resources

College and campus initiatives

Whether you’re looking for cultural celebrations and events or support services for members of the community, the following VCU programs and initiatives offer opportunities for involvement in the areas of culture and diversity.

College initiatives

  • The Office for Language and Cultural Competence offers training programs, workshops, seminars and presentations that introduce people to different cultures and foster intercultural competency.
  • The School of World Studies offers language services — ranging from translating office documents and manuals to interpreting services to language instruction — for professionals, companies and members of the community.
  • The Department of Psychology’s Center for Cultural Experiences in Prevention promotes healthy youth, families and communities by empowering people to make positive choices in the areas of sex and drug prevention, school and vocational success, and physical and psychological well-being.
  • The Center for Psychological Services and Development offers Spanish language mental health services for the community.
  • Funded by the VCU Division for Community Engagement, the Peep This project partners students in the African American Studies program with Richmond public middle and high school students to create films about Richmond and its history.
  • In collaboration with the city of Richmond’s Hispanic Liaison Office, Rosalie Corona, assistant professor of psychology, and other VCU faculty and staff completed the Richmond Latino Needs Assessment to determine service needs among members of the growing Latino community.
  • High school students can enroll in the Virginia Governor’s Foreign Language Academies for an intensive summer language program in French, German, Japanese, Latin, Russian or Spanish.

Campus initiatives

  • VCU and the University of Richmond’s renowned French Film Festival, founded in 1993, is an American-led initiative to promote French language cinema and culture in the U.S. and create a tradition of Franco-American corporate and cultural partnerships.
  • Funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, VCU Libraries’ Archives of the New Dominion locates, secures and makes accessible the paper history and archives of Central Virginia’s African-American, gay and lesbian, Hispanic and women’s activist communities.
  • The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs organizes cultural programs, discussion groups, student organizations, scholarships and more.
  • The Office of International Education serves the needs of both international students and scholars and VCU students looking for an educational experience abroad by providing immigration and admissions services, English language programs and study abroad opportunities, including VCU’s international partnership initiative.
  • VCU’s Center on Health Disparities works to eliminate disparities in health and improve health care for underrepresented populations in the greater Richmond area while impacting health and public policies throughout the commonwealth of Virginia.

Academic programs

The College offers a variety of academic programs for students interested in studying culture and ethnicity. Visit the school and department Web sites for more information on the degree and certificate programs available.

Community resources

From cultural festivals to organizations that support diversity efforts, Richmond offers a number of ways for you to get involved in culture and ethnicity issues in the community. Visit the Web sites below for resources, community initiatives and upcoming events.

VCU Department of Music Virginia Commonwealth University