Advancing Inclusive Excellence: NOVA’s 2024 Diversity, Opportunity and Inclusion Report

In keeping with a mandate from the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM), NOVA is pleased to present our 2023–2024 DOI Report.

Under the guidance of Martin Brown, Gov. Youngkin’s chief diversity, opportunity and inclusion officer, all state agencies (including state institutions of higher education) were given a template — the Diversity, Opportunity and Inclusion Report — to share more broadly the work they have done to advance diversity, opportunity and inclusivity within their organizations. At NOVA, we not only met the expectations of this exercise but in fact exceeded them, developing a dynamic report highlighting our College’s dedication to inclusive excellence.

Our mission at NOVA emphasizes providing equitable access to affordable and exceptional higher education and workforce programs, with the goal of transforming the lives of students and advancing opportunity in our community. Rooted in our institutional core values of inclusion, excellence, care, integrity and respect, we are fully committed to these goals. 

To adequately convey the important work NOVA has done in this area, AVP of Human Resources Charlotte Calobrisi and I combined our respective work, which was informed by NOVA’s Admin Council; the College Board and its Committee on Student Success and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; and the Collegewide DEI Council, as well as the College Senate’s Committee on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Opportunity. In addition, we met with key stakeholders across the College and worked with NOVA’s marketing and branding teams to ensure the report reflects the various factors we felt were important in the telling of NOVA’s inclusive excellence story.

We are very pleased to share with you a copy of this important report. 

The DHRM Diversity, Opportunity and Inclusion Report delves into many aspects of this work. In it, you will find:

1. Recent Accomplishments and Upcoming Goals: Using the categories DHRM stipulated, NOVA provided a summary of key accomplishments and future goals that impact inclusive excellence and advance diversity, inclusion, opportunity and equity as well as our current strategic plan, Inspiring Excellence: A Bold Blueprint for Student Success.
2. Demographic Data: NOVA provided a snapshot of disaggregated data showing the diversity of our student body and workforce, enabling us to better understand and address the needs of our community.
3. A Sample of New Diversity and Inclusion Campus Resources and Maps: NOVA shared a sample of new diversity and inclusion campus maps that serve as invaluable tools for our community members by helping them locate essential resources that uphold our commitment to equitable access. The maps will be soon be displayed on our NOVA website and available to all.
4. Campus Accessibility Maps: NOVA shared a sample of campus accessibility maps that outline how campus facilities are accessible to all members of our community, regardless of their abilities, and highlight how NOVA continues to serve the many populations represented here.

AVP Calobrisi and I wish to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all members of the NOVA community for their hard work and dedication throughout the past year. The accomplishments and goals outlined in this report would not have been possible without your collective commitment to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion.

As your chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, I do want to note that, while DHRM emphasizes the word “opportunity” in the DOI Report, I want to reaffirm NOVA’s unwavering commitment to all aspects of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. The pursuit of equitable access is central to our mission at NOVA, and so we will remain steadfast in our pursuit of inclusive excellence in this regard.

If you have any questions or would like further information about the report, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or Charlotte Calobrisi. We are here to support you and ensure that NOVA remains a beacon of diversity, equity, opportunity and inclusion for all.   

On a personal note, I want to extend thanks to President Kress, Admin Council, the DEI Office and the entire College community for supporting me in my endeavors as an ACE Fellow this year. I look forward to returning to NOVA in mid-June and to working alongside you regularly and sharing what I have learned this year.

Thank you for your continued dedication to our shared mission and values. If you have questions about DEI or the College’s initiatives in this area, please contact me at NACarter@nvcc.edu.

Submitted by:
Dr. Nathan Carter, CDEIO, NACarter@nvcc.edu