Faculty Affairs

Office of the Provost

Recruitment Inclusive Champion (RIC)

Bringing the most talented, diverse faculty to VCU

The Recruitment Inclusive Champion (RIC) program was established in 2014 to help strengthen VCU’s faculty and staff recruitment efforts by building cohorts of knowledgeable champions from units across the university who have completed a comprehensive learning experience. RICs serve as consultants, resources, and advisors to the search committee and help to support the search process to ensure that a robust, diverse set of qualified candidates are being considered. In addition, some RICs, specifically appointed by their deans, are responsible for working closely with the hiring manager and the search committee chair to ensure diversity, inclusion and equity throughout the search.    

Champions will assist their units with developing and implementing strategic recruitment plans. This may include identifying potential search committee members, establishing strategies targeting faculty candidates from underrepresented groups, integrating inclusive language into written documents and making suggestions for campus visit itineraries.

Selection Criterion

The RIC program is for faculty and staff who are:

  • Senior faculty/staff member preferred (tenured, if applicable)
  • Committed to building an inclusive and diverse talent pool
  • Able to fully participate and attend the required sessions
  • Experienced members of search committees (preferred)

The majority of colleges/schools at VCU have at least one RIC. A full listing of RIC graduates can be found below.