Black Equity and Inclusion committees
SEMSS is charged with establishing a campus environment that eliminates barriers to graduation, encourages engagement with faculty and our community, and creates opportunities to develop tangible and intangible career skills.
The accomplishment of these goals is impeded by racial barriers that affect access, equity and inclusion. The death of George Floyd in May 2020 inspired our staff to work collectively on examining our own biases, barriers to staff development and advancement, policies that adversely affect our Black and BIPOC students, and access to student experience opportunities that ensure positive educational and career outcomes for all students equitably.
In response, we've established the Black Equity and Inclusion committees to provide accountability to ourselves as a team and to show our progress to our students for whom we are working hard to uphold our commitment to establishing a campus environment that eliminates barriers to graduation.
Planning framework

Desired outcomes
- Broad-based goals that will allow SEMSS to improve equity, inclusion and support of our Black students and staff
- Action plans to realize broad-based goals (defined by immediate, short term and long term)
- Budget-mindful recommendations, broken down into “requires funding” and “no additional funding”
Committee membership
Chair: Roy Roach
UAAB, Advisor – College of Humanities and Sciences
Name | Unit |
---|---|
Martha Harper | UAAB |
Brad T Birchett | UAAB |
Nicolette Zbell | UAAB |
Eileen Scanlon | UAAB |
Chimene Boone | UAAB |
Becky Sowers | University Academic Advising |
Tanya Wineland | UAAB |
Ravynn Sykes | Career Services |
Amber Cummings | University Academic Advising |
Michael Smart | UAAB |
Sayaka Suzuki | UAAB |
Margaret Ozierski | UAAB |
Sheila Blair | UAAB |
Carlton Goode | University Academic Advising |
Cabel Newton | UAAB |
Tabia Matthews | University Academic Advising |
Rachel Bobbitt | UAAB |
Sarah Briland | UAAB |
Andy Kane | Campus Learning Center |
Lachelle Waller | UAAB |
Melissa Siebert | UAAB |
Ayanna Thompson | University Academic Advising |
Codie Frank | University Academic Advising |
Andrea Moreau | UAAB |
Danielle Stubbs | University Academic Advising |
Shelley Bowers | UAAB |
Juliana Rasnic | UAAB |
Meeting minutes
To come
Chair: Sonya Barnes
Career Services
Name | Unit |
---|---|
Amber Cummings | University Academic Advising |
Steph Dorman | University Academic Advising |
Cathryn Coffey | University Academic Advising |
Jake Regal | University Academic Advising |
Becky Sowers | University Academic Advising |
Sarah Zehringer | University Academic Advising |
Arjun Tomer | SI leader, CLC |
Anwulika Molokwu | Tutor, CLC |
Erin Hanley | Writing consultant, Writing Center |
Meeting minutes
To come
Co-chairs: Ash Taylor-Beierl, Madison Woodroof and Haya Hamid
Name | Unit |
---|---|
Christian Henderson | University Academic Advising |
Cabel Newton | UAAB |
Ayanna Thompson | University Academic Advising |
Melissa Siebert | UAAB |
Amy Leap Miller | UAAB |
Ian Coyle | Transfer Center |
Ash Taylor-Beierl | Career Services |
Sarah Midkiff | UAAB |
Madeline Goldman | UAAB |
Madison Woodroof | UAAB |
Rhonda Hall | Career Services |
Carmen Glass | UAAB |
Tabia Matthews | University Academic Advising |
Jenna Clancy | University Academic Advising |
Kelsie Potter | UAAB |
Haya Hamid | SI leader, CLC |
Elizabeth Crump | SI leader, CLC |
Katheryne Ramos | SI leader, CLC |
Ashlyn Anderson | University Academic Advising |
Meeting minutes
Gerron Scott
UAAB, Advisor – College of Humanities and Sciences
Name | Unit |
---|---|
Betsy Seymour | University Academic Advising |
Kerry Boland | University Academic Advising |
Danielle Pearles | Career Services |
Codie Frank | University Academic Advising |
Samara Reynolds | Career Services |
Mohammed Al-Meflehi | Tutor, CLC |
Nada Youssef | SI leader, CLC |
Carol Ann Lawson | VCU Human Resources |
Meeting minutes
Name | Unit |
---|---|
Maggie Tolan | Senior associate vice provost - Student Success |
Chimene Boone | UAAB - TRIO |
Ian Coyle | Transfer Center |
Sarah Midkiff | UAAB - Arts |
Tanya Wineland | UAAB - Business |
Madison Woodroof | UAAB - Graduate/M.S.W. |
Melissa Siebert | UAAB - Humanities and Sciences |
Martha Harper | UAAB - University College |
Ayanna Thompson | University Academic Advising |
Ravynn Sykes | Career Services |
Gerron Scott | Chair, Staff Committee |
Roy Roach | Chair, Immediate Action Committee |
Sonya Barnes | Chair, Policies Committee |
Meeting minutes
To come
Name | Unit |
---|---|
Janice Babb | IRDS |
Holly Bailey | IRDS |