Page 3 - SCIE Ambassador Program Strategic Brief

SCIE Ambassador Program Description

The SCIE Ambassador Program is an inter‐professional leadership opportunity for students who
are interested in and have a passion for cultivating diversity and inclusion across the medical campus.
Designed for students who self‐identify as coming from under‐represented backgrounds, the SCIE
Ambassador Program provides students with an opportunity to connect with peers, faculty, and
administrators from all of the health sciences schools who similarly identify. Selected Ambassadors
spend a year in residence wherein they meet approximately once monthly to receive training and to
discuss their experiences as under‐represented minorities in the health sciences. While Ambassadors
are presented with a certificate of completion at the conclusion of the year, they continue to serve in
the role of SCIE Ambassadors until graduation. This ongoing role involves continuing to be an agent of
change around diversity issues on campus by sharing their experiences, making recommendations for
improvement, and taking advantage of opportunities when possible.

T h e SCIE Ambassador Program met four times per semester this year. Meetings were held in
the evening and dinner was provided during each session. Each session was 1.5 hours. A schedule of
topics and speakers were planned for the year in residence, however Ambassadors were encouraged to
co‐create the experience. Specifically, each session began with the opportunity to discuss any issues or
concerns that surfaced since the last meeting. Further, if there were particular topics or speakers that
an Ambassador would like to see added to the schedule, they were encouraged to make those requests
known. The schedule for the 2016‐2017 academic year is available in Appendix C.

SCIE Ambassadors are selected annually toward the end of the summer semester. Twelve
students were selected for the inaugural cohort. Every effort was made to have a diverse cohort of
Ambassadors to ensure representation of a variety of identities. After their selection, SCIE Ambassadors
were announced to the MCV community through various vehicles, including the Health Sciences Student
Newsletter, the Office of Student Experience social media platforms, and to student leadership and
governance in their respective schools.

The Office of Student Experience (OSE) has partnered with Student Initiatives and Inclusion (SII)
in offering this program, which is one of several Student Support initiatives provided by the OSE. For
more information about the Office of Student Experience, visit
http://www.healthsciences.vcu.edu/student‐experience/ and http://rampages.us/studentexp/.

EXPECTATIONS OF SCIE AMBASSADORS
SCIE Ambassadors are expected to:

‐ Attend all SCIE Ambassador Program meetings. Every effort is made to schedule meetings
(i.e., day of the week) around the schedule of the current cohort. If an Ambassador has to
miss a meeting, he or she is expected to communicate that to the facilitators. Wanting
more time to study is not an appropriate reason for absence from a scheduled meeting.

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