Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity is a core value at Virginia Western Community College. We are committed to promoting a culture and practice of inclusion and empowerment.

Virginia Western defines diversity as the celebration of the unique contributions of all individuals, stemming from, but not limited to, the traditional categories of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, race, national origin, religion, sexual orientation and socio-economic status.

We are Western–a college community united in our individuality.

Did you know?

Our diverse student body is comprised of students from 8 major ethnic groups.
The mission of Virginia’s Community Colleges is to “give EVERYONE the opportunity to learn and develop the right skills so lives and communities are strengthened.”
There are 5 minority-majority institutions in the Virginia Community College System.
The Office of Disability Services assists in facilitating accommodations for all eligible students.
Virginia Western has numerous student clubs and organizations. If you can’t find one that matches your interests, you can start a new one! Click on “Student Clubs & Organizations” below for more information.

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I’m Carrie…

I am the Instructional Designer and Technologist in the department of Online Learning and Instructional Technology at Virginia Western.
I grew up in Shenyang, China. Shenyang is located in the Northeast of China with a total population of about 9 million.
After working as an English professor for 3 years at a college in China, I decided to go to America to continue my education. I completed my master’s degree in Educational Technology, and then I was accepted into a doctoral program at Virginia Tech. While there, I met my future husband…so I stayed here after that.
Reading is my number one interest during my spare time. I also enjoy traveling with my family. Recently, I have started tennis lessons. The lessons were originally for my child, but I decided to join her after seeing her playing and learning. It’s a very fun sport.
Years ago, my proudest moment was walking across the stage to receive my doctoral degree diploma. But now I will say, my proudest moment is seeing my child and watching her growing, learning, and exploring the world every day.
I have worked at Virginia Western since 2006. I came to Virginia Western because of several reasons: the friendly and inclusive working atmosphere, the opportunities that I would contribute in the area of faculty development, and the potential that I would be a part of supporting students who are in need to achieve their educational goals.
Diversity to me is respecting people who are different from me in their personal and professional life. That includes many aspects: age, gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, educational background, work background, economic class, (dis)abilities, etc. Diversity is also vitally important in the context of education. As we know, a diverse group of learners can be found in just about any course. Recognizing the importance of including students’ individual preferences and experiences in all aspects of learning is the key to providing them with access to an equitable learning experience.

See more of Virginia Western’s Spotlight on Diversity.