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April 2016
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Leadership
Support and
Giving Back
INSIGHT Into Diversity honors presidents
and chancellors who give back to their
campuses and communities
Congratulations
President Carolyn W. Meyers
Recipient of the INSIGHT Into Diversity Giving Back Award
The Jackson State University Family thanks you for your passion,
dedication, philanthropy, and outstanding leadership throughout
the JSU campus and community.
Pantone
www.jsums.edu
CMYK
| IN THIS ISSUE |
April 2016
Special Report: Leadership Support and Giving Back
46
30
Giving Back Awards
INSIGHT Into Diversity recognizes college
presidents and chancellors who go above
and beyond their everyday duties to give
back to their institutions and communities.
38
The Future of Sustainability Leadership
Rests with Higher Education
By Rebecca Prinster
Corporate Social Responsibility:
A Look at Northern Trust’s
Commitment to Giving Back
By Alexandra Vollman
34
42
Students Give Back, Find Fulfillment
Via Alternative Spring Breaks
By Jamaal Abdul-Alim
West Virginia University Inspires
Connection to Community Through
Community Service Project
By Madeline Szrom
EXTRA!
16
Lead Others Through Their
Diversity and Inclusion Journey
by Developing Yourself
By Joseph Santana
18
Students and Families
Forced to Think Creatively
as Tuition and Debt Outpace
State Spending
By Rebecca Prinster
28
Voices from Campus: Diversity
Leadership Takes Many Forms
By Rebecca Prinster
ON THE COVER: Colorado State University students attend class in an outdoor classroom
at 9,000 feet at the university’s Mountain Campus location, adjacent to Rocky Mountain
National Park. (photo courtesy of CSU Photography)
insightintodiversity.com
3
We are go-getters,
change makers,
problem solvers.
We make the world a better place,
and we’re strengthened by diverse perspectives,
experiences, backgrounds and identities.
Students proudly continue a 25-year tradition of leadership and
commitment to social justice through our Cross Cultural Center.
Undocumented students find support and become supporters
at our AB540 and Undocumented Student Center.
Faculty members help student scholars excel at our Center for
African Diaspora Student Success.
Learn about more innovative UC Davis programs and
our diverse community: go.ucdavis.edu/community
4
April 2016
We celebrate
our chancellor,
Linda P.B. Katehi,
for her INSIGHT
Into Diversity
Giving Back
Award.
Congratulations!
| In Every Issue |
April 2016
Volume 87 No. 1
In Brief
6 Diversity and Inclusion News Roundup
New Directions
10 Diversity Leaders on the Move
INSIGHT Partner Profile
11 Ascend Helps Pan-Asian Business Professionals
Soar to New Heights
By Alexandra Vollman
CDO Corner
12 Leveraging the Residential Campus to Further
Diversity and Inclusion Goals
By Brooke Barnett, PhD, and Shannon Lundeen, PhD
HEED Award Spotlight
14 The Importance of Identity: How the University of Maryland
Uses Self-Discovery to Explore Diversity
By Madeline Szrom
Diversity Champion Spotlight
24 Longtime Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
11132 South Towne Square, Suite 203
St. Louis, Missouri 63123
314.200.9955 • 800.537.0655 • 314.200.9956 FAX
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.insightintodiversity.com
ISSN: 2154-0349
© 2016 Potomac Publishing, Inc.
Contacts:
Lenore Pearlstein | Publisher
Holly Mendelson | Publisher
Alexandra Vollman | Editor
Daniel Hecke | Art Director
Rebecca Prinster | Senior Staff Writer
Editorial Board:
Vicky Ayers
Brooke Barnett, PhD
Kenneth J. Barrett
Edna B. Chun, DM
Deborah Dagit
James A. Felton III
Bernard Franklin, PhD
Tia T. Gordon
William Lewis Sr., PhD
Lisa McBride, PhD
Frank McCloskey
Kevin McDonald, JD
Julia Méndez
Turan Mullins
Tanya M. Odom
Joseph Santana
Shirley J. Wilcher, JD
Anise D. Wiley-Little
Damon A. Williams, PhD
Shane L. Windmeyer
Contributing Writers:
Jamaal Abdul-Alim
Brooke Barnett, PhD
Shannon Lundeen, PhD
Rebecca Prinster
Macy Salama
Joseph Santana
Madeline Szrom
Alexandra Vollman
The views expressed in the content of the
articles and advertisements published in
INSIGHT Into Diversity are those of the authors
and are not to be considered the views
expressed by Potomac Publishing, Inc.
Fuels Columbia University’s Success
By Alexandra Vollman
Careers
65 Job Opportunities
Formerly the
Affirmative Action Register
insightintodiversity.com
5
[ In Brief ]
INSIGHT’s Diversity Virtual Career Fair
Attracts Diverse Employers and Job Seekers
The first-ever national diversity virtual
career fair, hosted by INSIGHT
Into Diversity via virtual recruiting
platform CareerEco on February 23,
attracted nearly 60 employers and
2,000 registered job seekers.
Employers of all sizes and types,
from all over the world and across
multiple industries — from education
to technology — participated in the
one-day online event. Companies
sought qualified diverse candidates
for a plethora of positions, from
internships to part- and full-time
employment. Notable recruiters
included Apple, Lockheed
Martin, Fidelity Investments,
GlaxoSmithKline, AT&T, The
PhD Project, Procter & Gamble,
MasterCard, and more.
Diverse students and alumni from
41 colleges and universities across
the U.S. participated in the career
fair, which provided them exposure
to employers that value diversity.
Participants were able to upload
résumés, as well as indicate their
interest in participating employers,
prior to the actual event. During
the career fair, students could chat
directly with representatives from
companies in which they were
interested, and employers could reach
out directly to students who met
their qualifications.
“This event was really helpful for
students across the U.S. who need
support in their career choices and
their future. It is also online, and that
makes it easier,” said Aref Jadallah,
a Webster University international
MBA student who participated in
the event. “I hope there will be more
virtual fairs so that [I] … can take
advantage of available opportunities
[with] such good companies.”
6
April 2016
Gayle Oliver-Plath, founder
and CEO of CareerEco, says that
virtual recruiting events such as this
place less pressure on students than
traditional career fairs and offer
a convenient way for students to
connect with employers. “They feel
more comfortable asking in-depth
“… [Employers] want to get to that
talent but aren’t sure how to do it
without it being price prohibitive. So,
this gives them a really good tool to
recruit diverse talent that’s time- and
cost-efficient.”
Costing less than an airline
ticket, according to Oliver-Plath,
“Trying to recruit diverse talent is challenging
in general, but particularly if you have to get to
different locations to do it. ... [Employers] want
to get to that talent but aren’t sure how to do it
without it being price prohibitive. So, this gives
them a really good tool to recruit diverse talent
that’s time- and cost-efficient.”
Gayle Oliver-Plath
questions, allowing them to better
understand the company, and they
don’t feel pressure that their time is
limited with each employer,” she says.
Another student participant said, “It
was really helpful to chat with someone
from the company and ask a lot of
questions that I may not normally get
time for at a career fair. Also, I really
liked getting one-on-one time with
someone from a company.”
In addition, Oliver-Plath says
this event provided an efficient
and affordable way for employers
to connect with diverse job seekers
across the country.
“Trying to recruit diverse talent
is challenging in general, but
particularly if you have to get to
different locations to do it,” she says.
participation in these events makes it
easier for multiple recruiters from a
single company to attend.
“[The virtual event] is a
tremendous benefit in comparison
to going offsite for a career fair,”
one employer said. “Two of us were
participating from different work
locations, without leaving our offices.”
INSIGHT Into Diversity and
CareerEco will host a second online
fair April 20, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 6
p.m. ET, to recruit students interested
in health professions schools. The
Diversity Healthcare Recruitment
Career Fair will connect health
professions schools with potential
diverse graduate students. To register
as a recruiter, visit bit.ly/1RiKLPh.
— Alexandra Vollman
Thank You!
The First-Ever National Virtual Diversity
Career Fair was a smashing success!
INSIGHT Into Diversity would like to thank
the 41 colleges, 57 corporate recruiters, and
2,000 students who participated!
Participating Colleges and Universities:
Auburn University
Boston College
California State University San Marcos
Claremont Graduate University
Colgate University
Columbia University, New York
Duke University
East Carolina University
Excelsior College
Florida State University
Framingham State University
Harvey Mudd College
Huntington University
Juniata College
Midwestern State University
Michigan State University
Northwestern University
Penn State University
Purdue University
Stratford University
Tufts University
Union College, New York
University of Central Florida
University of Denver
University of Florida
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Iowa
University of Kentucky
University of Maryland
University of Miami
University of Minnesota
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Pittsburgh
University of South Florida
University of Tennessee
University of Virginia
University of West Florida
Vanderbilt University
Wabash College
Webster University
[ In Brief ]
Justice Scalia’s Death Has Implications for Affirmative Action
Beyond the immediate repercussions
for the U.S. legal system following the
sudden passing of U.S. Supreme Court
Justice Antonin Scalia on February 13,
his death will likely have a pervasive
effect on the outcome of Fisher v.
University of Texas at Austin, a case in
which the fate of affirmative action in
college admissions could be decided.
After hearing the case for the second
time, the court is expected to deliver a
decision before the end of this term.
With Scalia — who was known as a
scathing critic of affirmative action —
now gone, many experts agree that the
balance in this case will likely shift.
“It was likely that Scalia was going
to lead the charge to try to restrict any
affirmative action provisions within the
University of Texas’ admissions policies,”
University of Texas (UT) history
professor Jeremi Suri said in a statement.
Yet, many do not anticipate that the
overall outcome of the case will be any
different with him gone.
Justice Elena Kagan recused herself
from this case, having previously
worked on it as solicitor general of
the U.S., leaving just seven justices.—
three liberal and four conservative.—
to decide on this dispute. Without
her vote and with Justice Anthony
Kennedy often playing the role of the
wildcard, some consider the decision to
be a toss up.
“Anthony Kennedy is likely going
to vote for the majority in this,
which would be a 4-3 majority to do
something to affirmative action,”
Trevor Burrus, research fellow
in the Cato Institute’s Center for
Constitutional Studies, said in a
statement. “Now the question is what
will be done?”
Many experts believe Kennedy
will vote in favor of the conservative
majority, which would mean a vote
against the university.
The case, which the Supreme Court
last heard in 2013, involves Abigail
Fisher, a white student who challenged
UT’s policy of considering race in
undergraduate admissions after she was
denied admission in fall 2008. Burrus
said the court’s ruling could affect only
UT, demand more transparency from
universities across the country on their
affirmative action policies, or outright
ban the use of affirmative action in
admissions processes.
While no one has any definitive
knowledge of what will come of the
Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin
case, it is obvious that Scalia’s absence
will have an impact.
— Alexandra Vollman
Report Urges Colleges to Focus on Quality of Students’
Achievements in Admissions Decisions
Turning the Tide, a new report
conducted by Richard Weissbourd,
a senior lecturer at the Harvard
Graduate School of Education,
encourages college and university
admissions offices to focus on quality
of achievements instead of quantity
when reviewing college applications.
“[My proposal is] less focused on
personal success and more focused
on meaningful engagement in
communities and greater equity
for economically diverse students,”
Weissbourd says.
According to him, the current
application process at most elite schools
places a large emphasis on the number
of students’ achievements, which
may include AP classes and high test
scores. Turning the Tide, on the other
hand, encourages universities to pay
more attention to personal essays,
recommendations, and a genuine
commitment to community service.
“Our goal is to reshape college
8
April 2016
admissions so that it encourages
meaningful, ethical, and intellectual
engagement and not the racking up of
accomplishments,” says Weissbourd.
He believes that reconstructing the
way college admissions offices currently
judge applications will help remove
barriers for lower-income students.
These students typically have
limited access to participation in
extracurricular activities, honors
courses, or ACT or SAT prep classes.
Instead of focusing on the results of
activities such as these, Turning the
Tide recommends that applications
explicitly ask applicants about family or
household contributions, such as caring
for children or elderly family members.
Weissbourd explains that the
intense pressure associated with
applying to selective colleges is
harmful to all students, as it has
been linked to significant rates of
depression and anxiety. He says the
process and the stress it creates can
also discourage students who don’t
have access to resources.
Overall, the report has garnered
endorsements from more than 85
higher education institutions. And for
fall 2016, Yale University has agreed
to add a question on its application
asking students to ref lect on their
contributions to their families and
communities and to the public good.
“In working with admissions deans
over the past year, I’ve met many terrific
people who care deeply about these
issues. They have stepped up in a really
meaningful way,” Weissbourd says.
He hopes colleges and universities
will begin to use his proposed
application process within the next
two to three years.
“[The] proposal may lead to more
intellectual and engaged college
students who create stronger,
healthier college communities in
many ways,” Weissbourd says.
— Macy Salama
CONGRATULATIONS
THE UNION COLLEGE COMMUNITY CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT STEPHEN C. AINLAY ON RECEIVING
THE 2016 GIVING BACK AWARD FROM INSIGHT INTO DIVERSITY MAGAZINE. HE IS AN EXEMPLARY ROLE MODEL
WHO EMBODIES WHAT IT MEANS TO HELP AND SERVE OTHERS. WE HONOR AND CELEBRATE HIS LEADERSHIP,
DEDICATION AND TIRELESS COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT UNION COLLEGE CONTINUES TO BE
A COMMUNITY THAT DEMONSTRATES OUTSTANDING SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY EACH AND EVERY DAY.
We take pride in our ability to think about problems from multiple perspectives, to connect ideas from different disciplines,
and to act in a way that makes a meaningful difference in the world.
W W W. U N I O N . E D U / / S C H E N E C TA D Y, N Y
[ New Directions ]
ALABAMA
Johnny Green, PhD, has been
appointed assistant vice president
of outreach for the Division
of Student Affairs at Auburn
University. He was most recently
director of the Veterans Resource
Center at the university.
CALIFORNIA
Steven Nelson, PhD, has been
named director of the African
Studies Center at the University
of California, Los Angeles
International Institute. He is a
professor of African and African
American art and architectural
history at the university.
Mary Papazian, PhD, has been
appointed president of San Jose
State University. She was most
recently president of Southern
Connecticut State University in
New Haven.
Judy Sakaki, PhD,
has been named
president of Sonoma
State University in
Rohnert Park. She
was vice president of
student affairs in the
University of California Office of the
President in Oakland.
KENTUCKY
Lynne Holland, PhD, has been
appointed chief diversity officer
and assistant vice president for
student affairs and dean of students
at Western Kentucky University in
Bowling Green. She was previously
dean of students and director of the
Center for Career and Professional
Development and the Student
Accessibility Resource Center at
the university.
LOUISIANA
Justin Mathis has been named
assistant director of recruitment
for Southern University in Baton
Rouge. He was most recently
coordinator of admissions,
recruitment, and outreach at Alcorn
State University in Lorman, Miss.
MASSACHUSETTS
Malika Carter, PhD, has been
appointed the first chief diversity
officer of the city of Worcester.
She was most recently director of
Multicultural Student Services at
the University of North Dakota in
Grand Forks.
Paula Johnson, MD,
has been named
the first African
American president
of Wellesley College.
She was previously a
professor at Harvard
Medical School and Harvard School
of Public Health in Cambridge.
Barbara Krauthamer,
PhD, has been
appointed associate
dean for student
inclusion and
engagement in
the University of
Massachusetts Amherst Graduate
School. She is also an associate
professor of history at the university.
Anthony Tillman
has been appointed
associate provost
at Washington
University in St.
Louis. He was
previously assistant
provost at Southern Methodist
University in Dallas, Texas.
PENNSYLVANIA
James E. Taylor,
PhD, has been
named chief
diversity and
inclusion officer of
the University of
Pittsburgh Medical
Center. He was most recently chief
learning and diversity officer of
the Carolinas Healthcare System in
Charlotte, N.C.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Lee Gill, JD, has
been appointed
chief diversity
officer and special
assistant to the
president for
inclusive excellence
at Clemson University. He had been
serving as associate vice president
for inclusion and equity and chief
diversity officer at The University of
Akron in Ohio.
MISSOURI
Mary McKernan
McKay, PhD, has
been named dean
of the George
Warren Brown
School of Social
Work at Washington
University in St. Louis. She had
been serving as the McSilver
Professor of Poverty Studies and
director of the McSilver Institute
for Poverty Policy and Research at
New York University’s Silver School
of Social Work in New York City.
TEXAS
Darrell Bazzell has been named
senior vice president and chief
financial officer of the University of
Texas at Austin. He was formerly
vice chancellor for finance and
administration at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison.
Has your campus recently hired a new diversity administrator? INSIGHT Into Diversity would like to publish your news.
Please email: [email protected].
10
April 2016
[ INSIGHT Partner Profile ]
Ascend Helps Pan-Asian
Business Professionals
Soar to New Heights
By Alexandra Vollman
W
hile Asians tend to be
well represented in North
American businesses, their
numbers are much smaller in corporate
leadership positions.
Specifically, only 18 percent of
Fortune 500 companies have Pan-Asian
members on their boards, and as of 2013,
Pan-Asian men and women accounted
for only 1.8 percent of the 1,214 Fortune
100 board seats. This situation is often
exacerbated by the fact that many people
are not even aware of this disparity,
according to Jeff Chin, co-founder and
president of Ascend.
Established in 2005 to increase
knowledge of and address this issue,
Ascend — the largest nonprofit
organization for Pan-Asian business
professionals in North America —
conducts its own in-house research to
inform its efforts.
Chin says that research is key to
dispelling the “model minority” myth
and thus achieving progress.
“A lot of people believe in the model
minority view — that there’s not a
problem [for Pan-Asian people]. …
We need to bring those issues to the
forefront; we do that through research,”
Chin says. “We highlight the fact that
yes, there may be a lot of Pan-Asians [in]
corporate America in certain companies,
but many of them are not moving up to
[be] leaders of organizations.”
With the help of seven other
Pan-Asian executives from various
companies, Chin and colleague Dylan
Jeng launched Ascend while both
were working at business management
consulting firm Ernst & Young. After
developing the first employee resource
group for Pan-Asians at the company,
Chin, now a retired partner, began
searching for a similar external network.
“I saw a lot of Pan-Asians coming
into [Ernst & Young] but not a lot of
them rising to the level of leadership;
I was one of the first Pan-Asian
partners to make it into the mainstream
business,” he says. “So once we started
the internal network, we looked for an
external network, couldn’t find
one, and so we said, ‘Ok, we will
start our own.’”
With 34 college chapters and
17 professional chapters across
the United States and Canada,
Ascend reaches 60,000 people
through networking, training,
professional development, and
career enhancement programs
and events. The organization’s
main goal is to increase the
presence and influence of PanAsian business leaders.
One of Ascend’s most prominent
initiatives is Pinnacle. Launched in
spring of 2013, it focuses on tapping
the organization’s network of PanAsian corporate board members, which
presently includes 95 experienced board
directors of public companies, according
to Managing Director of Pinnacle S.K.
Gupta. Using a “push and pull” system,
Pinnacle “pulls” from these current PanAsian board members to “push” those
who aspire to be on public boards.
Chin says Ascend has been gathering
its network of Pan-Asian board
directors via roundtable dinners to
discuss advocacy efforts and ways of
working together to increase Pan-Asian
representation. He says phase two will
focus on developing and supporting
candidates for future boards by providing
networking and training opportunities.
As a life-cycle organization —
with offerings for students, young
professionals, mid-level managers, and
senior executives — Chin says Pinnacle
helps complete the professional cycle.
And he believes Ascend’s corporate
partners — companies like Deloitte,
Bank of America, Disney, Johnson and
Ascend co-founder Jeff Chin (second from left)
with Pan-Asian corporate board members
Johnson, New York Life Insurance
Company, Boeing, and others — are a
testament to the good work it is doing.
“[The fact that] a lot of our partners
have been with us from the very
beginning, and continue to stay with
us and support us, tells me that we’re
doing the right thing,” he says.
And if the numbers weren’t enough
to motivate Chin and his colleagues at
Ascend, knowing that they are helping
fellow Pan-Asian business professionals is.
“I truly believe ... that we must lead
by example,” he says, “and we must
give back and help Pan-Asians become
the leaders of today and tomorrow.”●
Alexandra Vollman is the editor
of INSIGHT Into Diversity. For
more information on Ascend, visit
ascendleadership.org.
insightintodiversity.com
11
[ CDO Corner]
Leveraging the Residential
Campus to Further Diversity
and Inclusion Goals
By Brooke Barnett, PhD, and Shannon Lundeen, PhD
W
e know that racism is
woven into the history,
structure, and social and
intellectual fabric of most institutions
of higher education in the United
States. In 2015, students protested on
campuses across the country, shining a
spotlight on racial injustices at colleges
and universities and the ways in which
underrepresented and marginalized
students experience campuses — from
their academic to their social and
residential environments. Much has been
written by students, diversity trainers,
and even the U.S. secretary of education
about how colleges should respond.
This year, our faculty, staff, and firstyear students at Elon University read
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1964 book
Why We Can’t Wait. The “we” in King’s
title is meant to address not only black
Americans, but also white Americans
and community leaders — from church
pastors to the president of the United
States. More than 50 years later, King’s
appeal is no less urgent and the “we”
no less inclusive. Students can wait no
longer, and as university leaders, neither
can we. How can we reactively, as well
as proactively, address students’ concerns
and improve the college experience for
all? Higher education administrators,
faculty, and staff need not wait for
another student protest in order to act.
In his recent New York Times
editorial, “The Lie about College
Diversity,” Frank Bruni urges higher
education leaders to work proactively
in their respective institutions to
“challenge ingrained assumptions,
12
April 2016
disrupt entrenched thinking, broaden
the frame of reference, … [and create]
an optimal learning environment for
all students: white as well as black,
privileged as well as underprivileged.”
At Elon — where we too have had
racist and other bias incidents — we
see enormous potential to create
such transformative educational
opportunities. Through a particular
initiative, we are endeavoring to shift
the university toward becoming more
residential to better integrate students’
academic, social, and living experiences.
In our university’s most recent
strategic plan, the Elon Commitment
(2010-2020), we identified a residential
campus plan as an institutional priority
that promised to, over the course of a
decade, “transform the campus culture
to more deeply engage students of all
classes around intellectual and personal
development and further Elon’s strong
sense of community.” We did this
because we knew from research that,
if designed and implemented well, the
integration of students’ academic, social,
and residential experiences could lead
to an enhanced intellectual climate,
improved academic performance,
increased engagement with diversity,
and stronger university affinity.
We have been referring to this plan
as the “Residential Campus Initiative”;
it facilitates inclusive community
building, from senior leaders to
students, and demands that inclusive
educational strategies and practices be
instituted everywhere, from classrooms
to residence halls. Advancing this
Brooke Barnett
Shannon Lundeen
initiative requires that we dismantle
silos that impede collaboration
between and across departments and
divisions at the university, and requires
instead that we cultivate collaborative
partnerships, particularly between
student life and academic affairs —
two divisions that we know serve as
the nexus of most students’ experiences
at liberal arts universities.
A few of our early successes include:
• Creating a residentially linked core
curriculum for first-year students
through which academic advising,
admissions, core curriculum staff,
and residential life staff all work
together to ensure that each section
of a foundation’s course consists of a
diverse group of first-year students
• Ensuring that our 21 residentially
based learning communities
bring students together from a
diverse range of backgrounds and
experiences to more deeply engage
in a particular topic or interest
under the guidance of a faculty or
staff member
• Increasing the number of faculty
working in partnership with student
life professionals to develop a “home”
for students that is as physically
comfortable as it is intellectually
engaging and socially dynamic, made
possible by our residential faculty
affiliates program and faculty who
live on campus
Institutions of higher education can serve as a
vehicle for equity and social justice, educating
and supporting an increasingly diverse population
through inclusive excellence. However, they can
only do this successfully through the sustained
efforts of a strong, interconnected community.
• Creating, in partnership with our
dining services provider, a range
of opportunities for students to
engage in intellectual discourse with
faculty, staff, and visiting scholars,
including a full-time professional
staff member who facilitates
partnerships and opportunities to
interact across differences; in fall
2015, that staff member successfully
launched community dinners as a way
for students to gather and talk about
important inclusion issues on campus
Our residential campus initiative
positions faculty and staff to better
serve students outside of the classroom,
helping students engage with diversity
socially, work through and across
differences academically, and practice
inclusive thinking. We are now
exploring opportunities to leverage our
residentially linked courses and learning
communities to infuse intercultural
competency education into students’
first-year experience. And, because 72
percent of Elon students study abroad
in locations around the world, we are
working to identify ways to better
bring their international experiences
back to our campus, where it is likely
that a majority of students in an
upper-level course will have had a
study abroad experience.
Other campuses have leveraged
student organization funding to
incentivize interaction across diverse
groups, because funding is enhanced
when two or more disparate groups
plan events together. Berea College
emphasizes the importance of this work
in roommate selection and the role of
residential life in helping students learn,
according to the school’s website, “how
to live comfortably with others within a
spectrum of the world’s cultures.”
Other college campuses are working
to enhance positive, meaningful
interactions with local communities,
which can often be more diverse than
the university population.
Institutions of higher education can
serve as a vehicle for equity and social
justice, educating and supporting an
increasingly diverse population through
inclusive excellence. However, they
can only do this successfully through
the sustained efforts of a strong,
interconnected community. The push
for equity, diversity, and inclusion is the
work of critical, intentional community
building undertaken with the aim of
transforming culture. The efforts of
residential colleges and universities
such as Elon — which are more fully
integrating students’ living and learning
environments — seek to transform
campuses into intellectually engaging
places that promote civic responsibility,
lifelong learning, and global citizenship.
Successful initiatives require
producing and sustaining the
institutional and campus-specific
climate conditions that allow different
people to develop, thrive, and feel safe
and included. Because these efforts call
for an “all-in” approach to accomplish a
true integration of students’ academic,
social, and residential experiences,
we believe that residential campus
initiatives offer institutions a promising
pathway to comprehensively infuse
principles and practices of inclusivity,
intercultural competence, and social
justice in a systematic, sustainable way.
Those of us at predominantly white
institutions must continue to work
toward increasing the compositional
diversity of our student body, as well as
that of our faculty and staff. However,
through the infusion of inclusivity and
intercultural competencies into our
residential campus initiative, we at Elon
are also working hard to achieve what
Frank Bruni identifies as the ultimate
goal of a more diverse university
population: “meaningful interactions
between people from different
backgrounds, with different scars and
different ways of looking at the world.” We have much to do, and we
plan to keep at it. We continue to
strive for more diversity of students
and colleagues, more positive and
meaningful interactions across that
diversity, and more development of
intercultural knowledge, skills, and
attitudes as part of our simultaneous
and continuous efforts on this urgent
and forever unfinished agenda.●
Brooke Barnett, PhD, is the associate
provost for inclusive community and
professor of communications at Elon
University. She is also a member of
the INSIGHT Into Diversity Editorial
Board. Shannon Lundeen, PhD, is the
director of academic initiatives for the
residential campus and an associate
professor at Elon University.
insightintodiversity.com
13
[ HEED Award Spotlight ]
The Importance of Identity:
How the University of Maryland Uses
Self-Discovery to Explore Diversity
By Madeline Szrom
I
t can be difficult to fully
understand and appreciate
people from different cultures
or backgrounds without first
comprehending how one’s own
background and beliefs can affect
those individuals. Acknowledging
this important fact, the University
of Maryland (UMD), College Park
focuses on helping students selfidentify, leading to better understanding
of others as they become part of a
multicultural community.
Students at UMD begin the road
to self-discovery the moment they set
foot on campus — something Kumea
Shorter-Gooden, PhD, chief diversity
officer and associate vice president of
the Office of Diversity & Inclusion,
says is integral to their growth.
“Students often first find their
niche and engage with others who
have similar identities while exploring,
learning about, and deepening their
own identity,” she says. “This can give
them the confidence to go out and
engage with those quite different
from themselves.”
Once students become comfortable
with who they are, Shorter-Gooden
says they often recognize their personal
biases and are able to improve their
connections with more diverse groups.
“What’s sometimes called ‘selfsegregating’ can be healthy, especially
for students from marginalized groups.
It can even be imperative in the
context of a large university that is
predominantly white and historically
male,” she says. “Majority-group
students have a different challenge:
how to see beyond their privilege and
engage with diverse classmates on
14
April 2016
more than a superficial level.
“We want all of our students to take
full advantage of the richness of the
campus and learn from one another.”
UMD has an array of organizations,
courses, programs, and student-led
difference, power, and privilege.
“The Maryland Dialogues are about
changing culture,” Shorter-Gooden says.
“We have to create a culture where we
can communicate and learn from those
who are different — even if we disagree.
Frederick Douglass Square at the University of Maryland, College Park, which the
university dedicated last fall
groups to guide students through the
self-identification process, as well as
help them learn about different cultures
and identities. For instance, the new
Maryland Dialogues on Diversity
and Community, launched this year,
is a compilation of lectures, symposia,
discussions, and listening sessions that
stimulate honest discussions of difficult
issues. Its goal is to increase inclusion
on campus by educating students,
staff, and faculty on issues of identity,
That needs to become the cultural norm.”
The dialogues, which tackle different
topics each year, are an ongoing
effort. This year’s focus is race and
racism, with attention paid to how
race intersects with gender, sexuality,
class, religion, language, ethnicity, and
disability. As the program continues,
more topics will be added.
Another dialogue-centered initiative
at UMD, Words of Engagement,
provides a more raw experience. First
offered in 2000, this optional course
creates a space for students to come
together and openly talk about historic
issues of conflict; in the past, students
have tackled tough topics such as race
and social biases.
“It provides students the ability
to talk and build resiliency [around]
uncomfortable conversations and
increases their ability to not simply
debate issues, but instead start a
dialogue around them grounded in
lived experience,” says Beth Douthirt
Cohen, director of education
and training in UMD’s Office of
Diversity & Inclusion.
According to Douthirt Cohen,
Words of Engagement has had the
greatest impact in terms of engaging
students in conversations across
differences, and she says that much
of this can be credited to the class’s
complex nature.
“It’s not necessarily ‘feel-good,’ and
that’s not the purpose of it,” she says.
“It’s about increasing comfort around
conflict — naming it, talking about it.
The dialogue is about coming as you
are and pushing yourself.”
While race and gender are
important areas to examine, they
represent only a small but sizable part
of UMD’s diversity and inclusion
focus. The university is also working
to make the campus more inclusive of
people with disabilities.
Thanks to many on-campus groups,
UMD has made progress in terms
of increasing understanding and
acceptance of these individuals in the
last several years; these groups have
included the President’s Commission
on Disability Issues (PCDI), which
advises UMD’s president on how to
address issues affecting students with
disabilities; TerpAccess Disability
Network, which works to create an
environment that’s accepting and
inclusive of the disability community;
and Delta Alpha Pi (DAP), an honors
society that recognizes high-achieving
students with disabilities.
“[During my time at UMD], I
had to deal with a lot of different
challenges, such as professors
not understanding [my] needs or
accommodations and transportation
issues around campus,” says
Christopher Gaines, a UMD alumnus,
former member of the PDCI, and
former DAP president. “Now, there’s
more organization with disability
the ability to become one of the first
institutions to break the barriers
students with disabilities face.
“A lot of the focus on inclusion [at
UMD] comes from a dedication to
[hosting] a wide range of diversityrelated talks, trainings, and events,”
Greenberg says. “This is especially true
Students participate in UMD’s Maryland Dialogues on Diversity and Community event.
awareness and advocacy training.”
Efforts in this area include UMD’s
Rise Above Week, which, in 2015,
focused on how to combat “ableism”.— the assumption that those
who are able-bodied are more capable
than those with disabilities. UMD also
uses National Disability Employment
Awareness Month as an effective way
to build advocacy. Held every October,
UMD hosts on-campus workshops,
lectures, and guest panels to help build
better understanding and acceptance
of people with disabilities.
Mollie Greenberg, a PhD sociology
student at UMD who has helped
plan Disability Awareness Month
activities at the university for the past
two years, says she believes individuals
with disabilities are still greatly
underrepresented in higher education.
However, she thinks that UMD has
in terms of disability.”
From identity to race to disability
awareness, UMD is focused
on ensuring students have the
opportunity to grow — not only
on a personal level, but also as a
community that’s knowledgeable and
understanding of diversity.
“We want students to have
information and to develop, learn,
and become culturally competent,”
Shorter-Gooden says. “[Then] they’ll
have the capacity to live and work
effectively, as well as the ability to
make a genuine difference when they
go out into the world.”●
Madeline Szrom is a contributing
writer for INSIGHT Into Diversity.
The University of Maryland, College
Park is a 2015 INSIGHT Into
Diversity HEED Award recipient.
insightintodiversity.com
15
Lead Others Through
Their Diversity and Inclusion
Journey by Developing Yourself
By Joseph Santana
T
here is an old saying that goes,
“You can only take others as
far as you’ve gone yourself.” I
am a big believer in this philosophy.
As leaders in the area of diversity
and inclusion, chief diversity officers
(CDOs) need to continuously take
themselves further in their selfawareness and skills in order to
effectively coach and counsel others. So
what are some things that diversity and
inclusion leaders can do to continue
their journey of self-development? Here
are seven specific ideas:
• If you have not done so, take all
the Harvard Implicit Association
Tests.— or unconscious bias tests.—
and soberly explore all of your own
biases. Believe me, you will find
plenty to work with. Regardless
of how diverse your upbringing,
experience, and lifestyle, you are
likely to find some biases hidden
beneath the surface. Do not try to
explain away or excuse any biases you
uncover; simply acknowledge them.
• Be open with others about these
biases. This takes leadership
and courage. Through your own
vulnerability, invite others to be
vulnerable, too. For example, one of
my recognized biases has to do with
tattoos and body piercings. Not only
has acknowledging this helped me to
get others to be more open with me,
16
April 2016
but it has also done a lot to help me
see people for who they are, past that
limiting filter. The best way to invite
others to grow is to be open about
your own journey.
• Formulate a way to challenge your
identified biases. Spend time with
people who disagree with you —
politically and socially. Instead of
trying to justify your beliefs by
refuting theirs, try to consider why
they believe what they do. This is
not meant to get you to adopt a
new belief, but rather to develop
a respect for the way others see
the world, even when their view is
in direct opposition to your most
closely held beliefs.
• To delve even deeper into your
personal development, make a list
of rules you learned growing up, and
then ask yourself when these rules
might actually not be good for you
or others around you. For example, I
came to internalize the rule, “Never
leave for tomorrow what you can
do today.” The problem with this
surfaced when I was tired but refused
to call it a day. It also became an issue
when I tried to encourage people
who did not subscribe to this idea
to keep working through their own
exhaustion. Gain better understanding
and management of your own
internalized rules so that you can be
in a better position to see and coach
others around their internalized
personal and cultural rules.
• To expand your current organization’s
diversity and inclusion program
limits, also explore beyond your
self-imposed “company limits.” Start
by making a list of the things you
believe your company would never
go for, and then ask, “How can I take
a bold step toward driving one of
these things forward?” I remember a
company I worked for where many
employees felt they could not start
an LGBTQ network — that is, until
someone did it, and it turned into
one of the networks with the most
positive influence and impact in the
entire organization.
• For your next encounter with senior
business leaders, commit yourself
to asking powerful questions to
challenge their beliefs and expand
their thinking instead of agreeing
to and affirming their present
beliefs.— or jumping into an
argument to get them to see things
your way. The idea is to raise their
awareness of their thinking, as well
as yours, and to use facts to find
better solutions. For instance, if
someone says, “I don’t think Hazel
can handle a full workload after
coming back from having a baby,”
don’t quietly nod, and don’t blurt
out, “That is so biased.” Instead, ask,
“Why do you think that?” Listen,
and keep asking clarifying questions
until the facts emerge. Then
address those honestly from your
own perspective. Become a master
at asking clarifying questions and
having fiercely honest conversations.
Scary? It can be, but it’s also vital to
your ability to drive progress.
• Finally, connect yourself with
peers who challenge your solutions
higher levels of vision and performance.
This truth is embedded in one form
or another in the teachings of most
philosophies and religions. For example,
Jesus was cited as advising his followers
to “first take the log out of your own
eye, and then you will see clearly to take
the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
As leaders in diversity and inclusion,
we must continuously pull the logs
of bias, self-limits, lack of respect,
shortsightedness, and a host of other
barriers out of our own eyes so that
The path to leading others
always starts and ends with
taking ourselves to higher levels
of vision and performance.
and perspectives. An old African
proverb says, “If you want to go fast,
go alone. If you want to go far, go
together.” As a board chair and peer
advisory group leader, I can attest to
how much more individuals develop
when they have the support of and
are challenged by their peers.
And here is a bonus tip: When you
finish working your way through this
list, go to the top again and start your
next personal journey.
The path to leading others always
starts and ends with taking ourselves to
we can grow. Only through our own
growth can we continue to lead others
to that higher ground of cognitive
richness that emerges from the power
of diversity when we fully realize the
collaboration that results from greater
levels of inclusion.●
Joseph Santana is chairman of the
Institute for Corporate Productivity’s
(i4cp) Chief Diversity Officer Board
and president of Joseph Santana, LLC.
He is also a member of the INSIGHT
Into Diversity Editorial Board. For
more about Joe, visit joesantana.com.
insightintodiversity.com
17
Students and Families Forced to
Think Creatively as Tuition and
Debt Outpace State Spending
By Rebecca Prinster
T
hat 40 million college
graduates have accrued $1.2
trillion in debt is an issue
that most people would agree cannot
be ignored, but few stakeholders have
been able to compromise on a course of
action. The situation is particularly dire
for African American students who face
disproportionate amounts of debt, and
in some cases, rising costs are having a
negative effect on their representation
in higher education.
The good news is that state spending
on higher education has increased
for the third year in a row, according
to the Grapevine report, an annual
analysis of state appropriations for
higher education. Conducted by the
Center for the Study of Education
Policy at Illinois State University and
18
April 2016
the State Higher Education Executive
Officers association, the report shows
that funding grew an average of 4.1
percent in 39 states between 2015 and
2016. Unfortunately, only Alaska and
North Dakota are spending as much
as they did on their public colleges and
universities as they were before the
economic downturn in 2008.
Cuts vary state to state, though. For
instance, in Louisiana, state funding
for higher education decreased by 41
percent, but New York and Indiana cut
funding less than 10 percent, according
to a 2016 analysis by advocacy group
Young Invincibles.
“States’ budgets and economies
are tightly interrelated,” says Frank
Ballmann, director of federal relations
at the National Association of State
Student Grant and Aid Programs
(NASSGAP). “States that had a lot
of income from oil revenue a few
years ago were doing well, but not so
much anymore.”
The cuts states made between 2008
and 2012 were an attempt to balance
budgets, but without increasing revenue
from sources such as increased taxes,
public colleges and universities were
forced to raise tuition, leaving parents
and students to foot more of the bill.
Families, on average, now cover half of
the cost of tuition at public colleges,
whereas in 2008, their share was
around 38 percent, according to Young
Invincibles’ analysis.
“In the past couple of years, states
have started to reinvest, but the
question is, will they choose to sustain
the reinvestment?” says Michael
Mitchell, policy analyst in the division
of State Fiscal Policy at the Center on
Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
“In the next few years, there will likely
be another recession. Are broader
budget questions being asked?”
“Tax cuts have been very widespread
as the economy has bounced back, and
certain budgets and rainy day funds
have not been replenished,” he adds.
“States could raise taxes, but that is very
Gov. Bruce Rauner. The state has
struggled financially for a number
of years, and African American
undergraduate enrollment at public
four- and two-year institutions
dipped by 8.24 percent between 2012
and 2013. Yet, tuition and fees have
annually increased, and the University
of Illinois’ (UI) flagship campus
in Urbana-Champaign enrolled a
mere 5.5 percent African American
students last year.
percent of black students take on
debt, compared with 63 percent of
white and Latino students. African
American students also accrue more
debt, at an average of $28,692, which
is nearly $4,000 more than the average
for all students. High dropout rates
for African American students — 39
percent — exacerbate the problem, the
report suggests.
Perhaps more troubling is the fact
that African Americans are more
Tuition hikes and the constant barrage of bad
news related to cost and student debt deters
many low-income and minority students from
enrolling or staying in college.
unpopular and unlikely to happen.”
Mitchell says that tuition hikes
and the constant barrage of bad news
related to cost and student debt deters
many low-income and minority
students from enrolling or staying
in college.
“From the student perspective, this
can go three ways,” says Mitchell. “If
a student is reading the news and sees
that their state is considering making
cuts and raising tuition — if that
student is from a lower socioeconomic
background, or they are a student
of color, they’re less likely to enroll.
Second, if that student is already on
campus and tuition rates go up, they
are more likely to drop out because
they think they can’t afford to go to
college anymore. And that’s almost
as bad as not going because now they
have no diploma, but they have a huge
debt burden.”
There is evidence of this situation
in Illinois, a state $640 million behind
on payments to its public colleges and
universities and $31 million behind on
financial aid payments.
Illinois has been without a budget
since July 2015, due to political gridlock
between Democrats and Republican
In addition to choosing not to enroll,
Mitchell thinks African American
students may sell themselves short by
attending less prestigious institutions
because of lower sticker prices.
“That third bucket involves students
who are really talented and smart, but
when they see the high cost of some
of those top-tier schools, they drop
down and go to a less competitive
school,” he says. “But research shows
that they would have earned more over
their lifetime if they’d gone to a better
school.”
Indeed, patterns of enrollment and
debt accumulation among African
American students confirm Mitchell’s
assessment. African American
enrollment in postsecondary education
has skyrocketed in the last two decades,
but overall, the percentage of black
students at top-tier institutions — such
as Ivy League schools and prestigious
research institutions — has remained
flat at about 6 percent since 1994.
Further, African American students
take out more loans — and more
often — to finance their undergraduate
education than any other ethnic
group. A report by the public policy
organization Demos found that 80
likely than any other ethnic group to
enroll at for-profit institutions, where
graduates leave with the highest levels
of debt than from any other higher
education institution. Nearly 26 percent
of all students in the for-profit higher
education sector in the fall of 2014 were
African American, according to the
U.S. Department of Education. And
in the 2011-2012 academic year, 48
percent of for-profit degree recipients
accumulated a debt burden of $40,000
or more, the College Board reported;
only 12 percent of graduates of public
four-year universities graduated with
that much debt.
Grant Funding Lags Behind
Soaring Tuition Costs
Researchers in Illinois say cuts made
to the Monetary Award Program
(MAP), the state’s need-based grant
program, also contributed to enrollment
declines. A decade ago, MAP grants
were awarded to all students who
applied. By 2013, however, about half
of all applicants received MAP grants.
Amid the ongoing budget stalemate,
Gov. Rauner vetoed a bill proposing
$397 million to MAP that would have
provided access to higher education for
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19
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20
April 2016
hundreds of thousands of students.
The budget crisis in Illinois is,
fortunately, an anomaly. In fact, overall
state funding for need- and non-needbased grants increased by 2.3 percent
over the last year, according to data from
NASSGAP. The data show that overall,
need-based awards comprised around 75
percent of total aid awarded to students
in the 2013-2014 academic year.
“I would disagree with the premise
that less money available to states has
meant states have shifted funds away
from need-based aid to merit-based
aid,” Michael Solomon, manager of
policy analysis of NASSGAP Illinois,
said in an email. “I would assert that
many states are focusing their limited
funds on broad need-based aid that
benefits lower-income households.”
NASSGAP tracks state grants, but
it does not disaggregate by race or
ethnicity who receives what types of
financial aid.
Ballmann says state-awarded
grants vary depending on a state’s
economy and the decisions made by
its lawmakers and voters. However, he
thinks that most students with proven
need should be able to cover the cost
of in-state tuition with maximum
state and federal Pell Grant awards,
provided they seek them out.
“I know there are studies that show
suburban white kids have better test
scores and get a disproportionate
amount of non-need-based aid, but
I think that’s where the Pell Grant
comes in to level the playing field,”
he says. “Louisiana, recognizing
the importance of students getting
Pell Grants, is requiring students
to complete the FAFSA in order to
get their high school diploma. We
know there are two million students
attending college who are eligible
for Pell Grants who don’t apply, so
imagine how many more eligible
students are not going to school at all.”
Across the board, high school
graduates left roughly $2.7 billion of
free federal student aid unclaimed
during the 2014-2015 application cycle,
according to an analysis by NerdWallet,
a personal finance website. Its study
assessed how many high school seniors
in the U.S. failed to complete the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) and how many would have
likely been eligible for need-based
federal financial aid.
The calculations take into account all
high school seniors — using projected
graduation rates — whether or not those
students intended to or did eventually
enroll in college. The analysis found
that 1,445,732 high school graduates
failed to fill out or complete the FAFSA
application, and an estimated 747,579 of
those students would have qualified for a
federal Pell Grant.
Unfortunately, the federal Pell
program and state grant funding
have not kept up with inflation and
rising tuition costs. Further, median
family income declined by 0.2 percent
annually between 2005 and 2014 after
two decades of yearly increases. The
maximum Pell Grant award for the
2016-2017 academic year is $5,815
and covers only about 30 percent of
average tuition costs at a public fouryear institution. In 1980, the maximum
Pell Grant covered three-fourths of
those costs.
President Barack Obama has taken
a number of steps to help students
stretch Pell Grant funding. His latest
move came in the budget he proposed
in February in which he called for
permanently tying the maximum Pell
Grant award to inflation. A current
provision in the program that already
does this is set to expire next year.
Funding from Unlikely
Sources Adds Up
With tuition rates outpacing income
growth as well as state and federal
financial aid levels, it behooves students
and parents to look for funding
resources wherever possible. This is
the mindset Valerie Gregory of the
University of Virginia (UVA) hopes to
instill in students in her state.
Gregory is the director of outreach
and associate dean of the Office of
Undergraduate Admission at UVA.
She says she and her outreach team
communicate to high school students
early on about available funding
resources.
“Reaching students earlier is key;
when you think about the time line of
applying to college, students get caught
up applying in the fall, but scholarships
often have early deadlines, in December
and January,” she says. “I hear from a
lot of students that by the time they
learn about a scholarship opportunity,
the deadline has already passed. So we
talk to juniors in high school, and I tell
them that this is their job, applying for
scholarships.”
Like most states, Virginia has
struggled to bounce back from the
recession; state funding for higher
“What also tends to affect
enrollment is what I call ‘the middle,’
those students from middle-income
families who don’t qualify for needbased aid,” she says. “If you’re rich, you
can write a check, no problem. Or if
you are low-income, all those needs
will be met at UVA. But if you are in
the middle, it’s not going to be as easy.
And I think that’s across the board,
not just at UVA, that you have those
middle income — and often African
American.— students who will qualify
and get in but have trouble paying for
college. That’s who we worry about.”
She encourages all students to look
for funding resources, no matter the
“There’s a lot of money out there
that is just going to waste because
no one is applying for scholarships.”
Valerie Gregory
education dropped by 21 percent
between 2007 and 2013, and tuition at
its public four-year institutions is well
above the national average. UVA has
also seen a decline in African American
enrollment since 2009, but Gregory
thinks this has more to do with the
way race is reported than with rising
tuition costs. In that year, the federal
government added the “multi-racial”
designation, which counts any student
who identifies as two races in one
separate category.
“It’s like comparing apples to
oranges, to look at enrollment before
2009 compared to after,” she says.
“That’s not to say that there hasn’t
been a decline, but it has probably been
slighter than how it’s been reported.”
Gregory’s worries are focused
on students from middle-class
backgrounds who don’t qualify for
need-based financial aid but still
struggle to pay tuition and fees.
size of the aid package.
“There’s a lot of money out there
that is just going to waste because
no one is applying for scholarships,”
she says. “Most people know about
the big scholarships, but the small
scholarships.— students may think it’s
just $500 here and $1,000 there, but if
you get a lot of those, they add up.”
Until states create sound tax policies
and increase revenue to help fund
public higher education, students and
parents are responsible for financing the
college experience. In the meantime,
families should follow the “1-2-3
Approach to Paying for College” —
offered by private student loan provider
Sallie Mae — and “start with money
you won’t have to repay,” followed by
taking out federal, then private loans.●
Rebecca Prinster is a senior staff writer
for INSIGHT Into Diversity.
insightintodiversity.com
21
is proud to congratulate our president
Daniel M. Asquino, Ph.D.
recipient of the
INSIGHT Into Diversity
Giving Back Award
mwcc.edu | AA/EEO Institution | IP468-01
22
April 2016
INSIGHT Into Diversity is proud to announce
its class of 2016 Diversity Champions.
Diversity Champions exemplify an unyielding commitment to diversity and inclusion
throughout their campus communities, across academic programs, and at the highest
administrative levels. INSIGHT Into Diversity selected institutions that rank in the top
tier of past Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award recipients.
To learn more about our Diversity Champions, please visit insightintodiversity.com/diversity-champions,
and be sure to read our first Diversity Champion feature on Columbia University on page 24.
Longtime Commitment to
Diversity and Inclusion Fuels
Columbia University’s Success
By Alexandra Vollman
Diversity Champions exemplify an unyielding commitment to diversity and inclusion
throughout their campus communities, across academic programs, and at the highest
administrative levels. INSIGHT Into Diversity selected institutions that rank in the
top tier of past Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award recipients.
F
or some colleges and universities, the
decision to establish policies, programs,
and offices dedicated to diversity
and inclusion has been a reaction to
either local or national events — such as the
recent student-led protests on college campuses
nationwide. Yet at Columbia University in the city
of New York, a commitment to improving diversity
and inclusion began a decade ago as a proactive
effort focused on attracting and retaining the best
and brightest scholars.
Specifically, one of Columbia’s largest efforts to
date is its faculty diversity initiative to support the
recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty
members. And while many other colleges are now
investing in this area, Dennis A. Mitchell, DDS,
vice provost for faculty diversity and inclusion at the
university, says Columbia’s support has been consistent.
“Within the past year, we’ve seen all that has
happened nationally to many of our peers, … and
many universities are beginning to roll out these
multi-million dollar faculty diversity initiatives,” he
24
April 2016
says. “We [think] this is wonderful, but at the same
time, we have been doing this for a decade now, and
when we actually add it up, we have put $85 million
toward this effort.”
According to Mitchell, Columbia’s faculty
diversity initiative began as a $15 million investment
in the faculty of arts and sciences, followed by $2
million for professional schools, $5 million for
natural sciences, $30 million for the whole campus,
and later, another $33 million university-wide.
“We weren’t really paying attention to the
[amount]; we were focused on increasing the
diversity of our faculty,” he says. “We have started to
talk about it as a single figure, but it really did not
originate that way.”
A Thriving Community of Scholars
Mitchell, who has been at Columbia in varying roles
for 25 years, has played a pivotal role in increasing
the diversity of the faculty, as well as ensuring they
feel included and supported. One way the university
does this is through its Provost’s Grant Program
Columbia University’s commencement ceremony in May 2015 (photo credit: Chris Taggert)
for Junior Faculty Who Contribute to the Diversity
Goals of the University.
The goal of this competitive program, which
began in 2013, is to provide opportunities for junior
faculty to thrive and ultimately achieve tenure. Every
semester, Mitchell says an average of 12 faculty
members are each awarded a grant of up to $25,000
to use for a project of their choosing.
“Sometimes it is used for supplemental research
that’s not funded. Sometimes it enhances research
that they have in place. Sometimes it helps them do
what’s necessary to write their next book,” he says.
“Obtaining funding is often the very limiting step
for junior faculty and helping them succeed. … That
one additional research award could put them in
place to achieve tenure down the road.”
Since the university-wide launch of the program
three years ago, 63 faculty members have benefitted
from the grant. For Diana Hernandez, who is
charged with covering a significant portion of her
salary through external funding, receiving the grant
helped not only fund her position, but also establish
her as an expert in her field.
“For me, the actual amount of the award was
not as important as what it symbolized in terms of
launching an independent career,” says Hernandez,
whose research has focused on the intersection of
energy, equity, housing, and health. “It allowed me to
pick up essentially where my dissertation left off, and
I was able to start … research that has since become
my signature area — but also one that I’ve been able
to get a lot more funding for.”
Since receiving the original grant from Columbia
in 2013, she has secured an additional grant from
the university as well as more than $400,000 from
the National Institutes of Health and $350,000 via a
fellowship with Harvard School of Public Health.
Beyond a monetary investment, Columbia
supports its faculty members by providing mentoring
and career advancement workshops, which Mitchell
says cover topics ranging from relationship and
network management to how to address difficult
conversations in the classroom. The university also
just completed a Guide to Best Practices in Faculty
insightintodiversity.com
25
Mentoring, which provides resources and a roadmap
for departments, schools, mentors, and mentees.
Columbia President Lee C. Bollinger — who
has served in his role since 2002 — says this work
is essential to fostering an environment where all
diverse faculty members can thrive. But it also
aids the university in its mission to be a leader in
higher education.
“We’ve made a very big financial and institutional
commitment to this over the past decade because
we know that for Columbia to be a national leader
and world center of the greatest scholarship and
teaching, we need a faculty that brings diverse
perspectives and experiences. And I mean diverse
in all ways — diversity in terms of race, ethnicity,
gender, and sexual orientation,” Bollinger said in an
email. “Indeed, fostering the uninhibited exploration
of competing ideas and beliefs.— expressed by
people of different backgrounds and perspectives —
is really what makes possible the kind of scholarship,
learning, research, and public service that are
Columbia’s mission in society.”
The Impact of Need-Blind Admissions
Another important part of Columbia’s mission is to
break down the cost barrier for students from a wide
variety of socioeconomic backgrounds.
By employing a need-blind admission process
that doesn’t take applicants’ financial situation
into consideration, the university is able to admit
“the best, brightest, and most talented students,”
says Jessica Marinaccio, dean of undergraduate
admissions and financial aid for Columbia College
and The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and
Applied Science at Columbia.
Columbia practices need-blind admissions for
U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and applicants
who are in the U.S. on a refugee visa. The university
also awards a significant amount of financial aid to
foreign students.
“We look holistically at who [applicants] are,
whether or not we think they are a good fit for a
Columbia education [and] whether they contribute
to the class we’re trying to create,” Marinaccio says.
“So the strength of each class is incredibly impacted
(Clockwise from top left) Columbia University’s Department of
Astronomy welcomes local students to explore the stars; Diana
Hernandez, assistant professor of sociomedical sciences at
Columbia; Columbia’s Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute
hosts its annual Community Brain Expo for local families at the
university’s Medical Center.
Opposite: (Clockwise from top left) Graduates at Columbia’s
commencement ceremony in May 2015; local high school students
in Columbia’s BRAINYAC program, along with Dr. Edmund Griffin,
participate in summer research internships at the university’s
Zuckerman Institute neuroscience labs; Columbia President Lee
Bollinger (second from left) at a 2007 forum on the future of diversity
and affirmative action at Harlem’s Schomburg Center for Research
in Black Culture, along with Harvard law professor Lani Guinier,
then-Columbia law professor and former President of the NAACP
Legal Defense and Educational Fund Theodore Shaw, and moderator,
Columbia faculty member, and former New York City Mayor David
Dinkins; Columbia’s campus (photo credit: Eileen Barroso)
26
April 2016
because we are [admitting] students who are going
to be the most successful regardless of need.”
Students from families that make less than $60,000
per year are not expected to contribute to the cost of
attendance, and those from families earning between
$60,000 and $100,000 receive a significantly reduced
family contribution. Columbia meets 100 percent of
every student’s demonstrated need for all four years
of study through grants and by requiring some oncampus work from students. But the university does
not expect them to take out loans.
According to Marinaccio, the average financial
aid package per student — specifically at Columbia
College and the School of Engineering — is
approximately $46,000 in grants and scholarships.
And she believes Columbia’s need-blind admissions
process and its generous financial aid policies help
lead to a student body that is rich in diversity.
Indeed, the university’s recent demographic
figures reflect this. For instance, the Class of 2019
is composed of 14 percent African American,
15 percent Latino, 27 percent Asian, 18 percent
first-generation, and 17 percent Pell Grant-eligible
students. In addition, students represent all 50 states
and 65 countries.
“Our overall financial aid policies are important
because they certainly impact students’ time when
they are here, but they also lift a burden upon
graduation,” Marinaccio says. “It makes families
think that it’s really possible for students to attend.”
While Columbia’s diversity and inclusion efforts
are supported and sustained by all members of the
campus community, Mitchell says improvement in
those areas would not be possible without strong
university leadership.
“We have been committed to these values for a
very long time, but we do understand that … there’s
a lot of work to be done,” he says. “However, I think
that the leadership that our president, and I would
also say our provost, John H. Coatsworth, [have
shown] is critical. You can always find faculty and
administrators … who will do this work, but without
leadership at the very top of the university, you
usually don’t see progress.”●
Alexandra Vollman is the editor of INSIGHT Into
Diversity. Columbia University is a 2016 INSIGHT
Into Diversity “Diversity Champion.”
insightintodiversity.com
27
Voices from
Campus: Diversity
Leadership Takes
Many Forms
By Rebecca Prinster
The past year forced many senior college and university
administrators to examine their commitment — or lack
thereof — to diversity and inclusion on their campuses.
While leaders at a number of institutions received negative
attention, with some even tendering their resignations,
many more went unrecognized for their service to
leading campuses where open dialogue is encouraged and
understanding for differences is fostered.
Students, faculty, and administrators from various colleges
and universities told INSIGHT Into Diversity about diversity
and inclusion efforts on their campuses, what leaders are
doing right, and — in some cases — where leadership fell
short of expectations.
Kumea Shorter-Gooden, PhD
Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Vice President
at the University of Maryland, College Park
“Issues of race, social justice, and inclusion are at
the forefront nationally and on our campuses. In
response, President Wallace Loh has launched the
Maryland Dialogues on Diversity and Community,
aimed at engaging students, staff, and faculty
across the university in meaningful conversations
about identity, difference, power, and privilege.
What we learn from these dialogues will strengthen
[the university’s] strategies for substantive change,
getting us closer to becoming a university that is
fully equitable, diverse, and inclusive.”
28
April 2016
Mayte Martinez
Political Science Major and Student Vice President of
Multicultural Affairs at Union College, Class of 2018
“Union College’s administration is cooperative, open
to dialogue, and continually strives for greater
solidarity. These qualities in an administration are
essential to me as I am not only a Latina, but also a
first-generation college student. With the influential
and visible leadership of Chief Diversity Officer
Gretchel Hathaway and Director of Multicultural
Affairs Jason Benitez, Union College has always
felt supportive and has given me the confidence to
pursue leadership positions myself.”
Lydia Singh
English/Biology Major and Chief Inclusivity
Officer for the Missouri Student Association at the
University of Missouri-Columbia, Class of 2017
“Mizzou lacks institutional support for diversity, but
because of this, the relationship among student
advocates has become a strong and necessary one
when it comes to adjusting to and advocating for
the needs of marginalized identities on campus. The
Black Cultural Center, Women’s Center, Multicultural
Center, Relationship and Sexual Violence Center,
[and] LGBTQ Center are filled with resilient
communities that work to advocate for minorities.
And the apparent absence of aid from administrators
within these areas — whether it be funding or
participation in events — creates communities that
tirelessly work to achieve their goals.
“It is an important time for students and
coordinators in these centers as the events of
last semester gave social justice the attention
it needs on campus. More administrators and
faculty members are now creating and attending
events that highlight diversity on this campus,
and their efforts are apparent. Improvements are
definitely trying to be made. As a student, I hope
that Mizzou’s future leaders participate in these
events not only when national attention calls them
to, but that it is something they wholly focus
their efforts on throughout the rest of Mizzou’s
future. Understanding the intricacies of a diverse
student body demands proactive — not reactive —
attention and care.”
Asma Barlas, PhD
Professor, Department of Politics at Ithaca College
“President Tom Rochon’s stake in diversity remains
unclear to me. For instance, he refused to renew
my term on the President’s Advisory Committee
on Diversity, and as a result, the Center for the
Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity — of which I
was then director — was denied representation at
that level. He withheld the results of the climate
survey and responded to racist incidents belatedly
and selectively. And while student protests were
raging, he was focused on grooming his own
image in the media.”
Sarah Cook, PhD
Professor and Associate Dean at Georgia State
University Honors College
“Georgia State University (GSU) owes some if its
success in attracting a diverse student body to its
location in downtown Atlanta, the Southeast’s major
city. Atlanta is racially and ethnically diverse, and
the city and university attract students who want
to stretch themselves by living in a microcosm
of the world’s diversity. The leadership of the
university, particularly President Mark Becker, has
embraced diversity as one of its core strengths. In
fact, the first goal of the university’s strategic plan
is for students from all backgrounds to succeed.
This goal has shaped and informed all initiatives
related to undergraduate education, and we embark
on nothing new without consideration on how a
program affects all students. This goal has become
part of GSU’s DNA. The next challenge is to diversify
the faculty and administration. In this challenge, we
are not unique, but it will be a focus of our next
strategic plan. If history repeats itself, GSU should
make excellent progress on this challenge.”
Robert Tinajero, PhD
Director of Writing Studies and Associate Professor
of English at Paul Quinn College
“Celebrating diversity is a common theme at Paul
Quinn College. While the school is a historically
black college, with a majority African American
student population, it is becoming more and
more diverse each year. Celebrating this diversity
and respect for all cultures and ethnicities starts
from the top down. The president of the college,
Michael Sorrell, has addressed the importance of
embracing diversity as the school continues to add
students of various backgrounds. He has called
campus town hall meetings to address diversity
and often repeats the mantra, ‘You don’t have to
be my color to be my kind.’ He also got on board
with my suggestion to start our Race Relations
Institute, which will develop programming for
our students and community that tackles various
issues [around] race, racism, and diversity.
“I believe having instructors from different
backgrounds is extremely important for our students.
In everyday interactions with people from different
ethnicities and cultures, we learn tolerance, respect,
and kindness. Professor Mariola Rosario, a Latina
from Puerto Rico, teaches Spanish courses at our
college and pushes students to learn and engage
with a culture that is not theirs. These moments of
engagement make a world of difference and help
Paul Quinn College celebrate diversity.”
Patricia Rodriguez, PhD
Associate Professor in the Department of Politics
at Ithaca College
“Under President Tom Rochon, diversity and
inclusion programs at Ithaca College have been
increasingly commanded from the top, and thereby
have served only to reassure ourselves of a false
notion that we are ‘working on it’ — rather than
stopping to examine what it would be like to really
listen, create spaces for voices that think otherwise,
and de-link from the corporatized discourse,
hierarchies, and contradictions inherent in the
neoliberal educational system we are in.”
insightintodiversity.com
29
[ Special Report: Leadership Support and Giving Back ]
Left: A Colorado State University (CSU) student studies in the Pingree Park Valley during a four-week field course at CSU Mountain Campus. Right: In fall 2015, CSU
was named one of only five universities in the nation to achieve a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly University designation from the League of American Bicyclists.
The Future of Sustainability Leadership
Rests with Higher Education
By Rebecca Prinster
Photos courtesy of CSU Photography
I
n the 1960s and ’70s, when the
environmental movement was
growing increasingly mainstream,
activists focused on effecting change
through legislative action, lobbying,
education, and establishing watchdog
agencies to crack down on pesticide
use, for example. Although these
areas remain vital to reining in human
effects on the environment, the
movement has evolved to concentrate
on sustainability.— implementing
processes and policies that preserve
natural resources for future generations.
Higher education institutions are
poised to be leaders on the sustainability
front. Not only are they able to develop
responsible environmental policies and
procedures for their campuses, but they
are also essential for educating future
leaders and entrusting them with the
skills they need to face the challenges
of tomorrow.
“Colleges and universities are
like small cities, and their impact is
substantial,” says Meghan Fay Zahniser,
executive director of the Association for
30
April 2016
the Advancement of Sustainability in
Higher Education (AASHE). “If today
they all went carbon-neutral, it still
would not move the needle on climate
change. But they are responsible for
preparing leaders of tomorrow with
solutions to tackle the environmental
challenges that impact all of us in our
personal and professional lives.”
According to researchers at the
National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), the warming
of the earth’s atmosphere, due to an
overabundance of atmospheric gases.—
like carbon dioxide — that trap heat
in a “greenhouse effect,” has led to
sustained drought, rising sea levels, and
shifts in crop cycles. The more than
1,300 global scientists that comprise the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change agree that this warming
trend is largely the result of human
activity. Scientists also agree that the
economic impact of climate change will
exacerbate existing inequality in every
country in the world.
Even so, many people in the U.S. are
unconcerned about climate change. In
the 2014 Global Trends Report by market
research organization Ipsos MORI,
which surveyed more than 16,000 people
in 20 countries, the U.S. ranked last in
concern over the environment; 32 percent
of respondents in the U.S. disagreed
with the statement, “We are heading for
environmental disaster unless we change
our habits quickly.” By comparison, only
7 percent of people in China — one of
the largest emitters of carbon dioxide —
disagree with that statement.
Zahniser says students can be
apathetic about environmental issues as
well, but AASHE works to encourage
and support schools across the country
to embrace sustainability and embed
sustainable practices into their curricula
and across their campuses.
With AASHE’s Sustainability
Tracking, Assessment, and Rating
System (STARS), colleges and
universities of varying size and location
can track their progress toward
sustainability. STARS is transparent
and self-reported and allows schools
to compare their efforts with those of other colleges
and universities across the country while facilitating the
sharing of best practices. Institutions earn points in the
categories of academics, engagement, operations, and
planning and administration, and they receive either a
reporter seal or a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum rating.
This past year, Colorado State University (CSU)
became the first institution — out of the more than 700
in the U.S. and abroad that use STARS.— to achieve
the platinum rating since the tracking tool’s introduction
in 2010. Tonie Miyamoto, CSU’s STARS liaison and
director of communications and sustainability for
Housing and Dining Services at the university, says
compiling data for the report engaged the entire campus.
“No one pointed a finger at any one office and said,
‘Sustainability is your job — fill this out,’” she says. “Every
division was involved in completing the data. It helped us
see sustainability as something we all do.”
Unlike many other AASHE-member schools, CSU
does not have a centralized sustainability office, which
Miyamoto says allows for a more holistic, integrated
approach to sustainability efforts.
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Training Leaders To Lead With A Diversity & Inclusion Mindset
CSU students clear debris from a trail as part of CSUnity, a
volunteer program that draws more than 2,400 students annually.
In the category of planning and administration, the
STARS report asks institutions to assess their level of
commitment to diversity and equity and their support for
underrepresented students and faculty. For Miyamoto,
consideration for these groups is crucial to any university’s
sustainability efforts.
“Traditionally, our campus has had sustainability
leadership that is male and white, so we’re trying to
engage more women, people of color, LGBTQ students,
and those with disabilities,” she says. “Sustainability
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insightintodiversity.com
31
Everyone is impacted by climate
change, but often it’s those with the
least who have the most to lose.”
One way CSU works to engage
more underrepresented students in
sustainability efforts is through its Eco
Leaders program, in which Miyamoto is
involved. These “leaders” are students —
usually in their first year.— who live in
the residence halls and engage their peers
in environmentally responsible behaviors.
Miyamoto says the program empowers
students to step into leadership roles.
“In the application, we don’t ask
questions about whether they were
privileged in high school or had the
ability to work on sustainability projects,”
she says. “Instead, we ask about their
lived experiences and their passions.
We usually pick students who have not
had the opportunity to be engaged or
who are international students. … We’re
showing them they’re not only part of the
Congratulations
Chancellor
THOMAS L. KEON
Giving Back Award honoree
for your commitment to diversity
and leadership in social responsibility
32
April 2016
Instead, CSU combines smaller
scale efforts with grants and public and
private funding.
While every institution faces
unique challenges in building a more
sustainable campus, Zahniser at
AASHE says there is a common course
of action schools can take, no matter
their size or location.
“The solution is to find a champion
who will embed sustainability in the
institution,” she says. “That person can
come from all different levels — from
the top to the student level — because
[students] are not only the customers,
but also the end product.”●
Rebecca Prinster is a senior staff
writer for INSIGHT Into Diversity.
To view the STARS report on
where colleges rank in regard to
sustainability, visit stars.aashe.org/
institutions/participants-and-reports.
2016 Applications
Are Now Available!
The Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED)
Award recognizes superior achievements and
commitments to making diversity and inclusion a top
priority on college campuses in the U.S.
2016
Health
Professions
INSIGHT Into Diversity is also proud to announce the firstever national annual diversity award for Health Professions
schools, colleges, and academic medical centers.
The 2016 HEED Award applications are available at
insightintodiversity.com/heedaward.
2016
800.537.0655 | insightintodiversity.com
Embrace the Possibilities
It is often human nature to find the greatest comfort with those most
like us—whether we focus on gender, race, national origin, language,
faith tradition, identity and orientation, disability, socioeconomic
status or political interests.
Webster University’s mission and presence in North America, Europe,
Asia and Africa encourages connections among us that transcend
our sameness. A global perspective transforms the limitations of
individual experiences and helps us understand ourselves and each
other as members of a globally diverse community.
webster.edu
insightintodiversity.com
33
[ Special Report: Leadership Support and Giving Back ]
Students tour Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, during a United Way Alternative Spring Break in 2013.
Students Give Back, Find Fulfillment
Via Alternative Spring Breaks
By Jamaal Abdul-Alim
F
or many college students, spring break is a time to hit the beach and
have some fun in the sun.
For Caleb Sloan, an architectural science major at Western
Kentucky University, spring break is a time to pound a few nails and help
build something that will last much longer than a week.
Through a program overseen by United Way, Sloan, 22, is among the
thousands of students across the country who plan to participate this year in
what’s known as “Alternative Spring Break.”
Specifically, Sloan will join about 16 other students in El Paso, Texas,
in early March to help build three-bedroom homes for families in need.
The effort is led by United Way of El Paso County and the Lower Valley
Housing Corporation; it is one of many alternative spring break options
offered across the country, many of them overseen by United Way.
When Sloan first got involved in United Way’s Alternative Spring
Break, or ASB, back in 2014, he thought of it as a way of benefiting others.
34
April 2016
However, students who participate in
the program end up benefiting as well.
“A lot of times when you do serviceoriented [work], you think that you’re
going to give back,” Sloan says. “But in
reality, at the end of the trip, with the
other volunteers and the people you’re
helping, they give back to you more than
you ever thought.”
For instance, Sloan says, in
building houses for families in El
Paso, volunteers get the satisfaction
of working alongside those who will
eventually call the houses home.
“You’re there with the family the
whole time, and you know they’re going
to live in it once it’s complete, so that is
really cool,” he says. “And they won’t be
in debt from paying to build it.”
Indeed, the Lower Valley Housing
Corporation offers families the
opportunity to own a three-bedroom
house at $64,500 with no down
payment, provided they help build 65
percent of their future home.
Yet, the way Sloan sees it, volunteers
build more than just homes — they
build relationships.
“What makes it so much fun is there
are all these other kids doing the same
thing you are; nobody knows anybody,”
Sloan says. “You learn so much about
yourself, and you grow really close to
one another in a week.”
An added bonus for Sloan is that
he gets practical experience in his
field of study.
This kind of hands-on experience
and fulfillment is a key reason for
having college students perform
volunteer service during ASB,
program leaders say.
This year, United Way ASB
nonprofit partner Break A Difference
is sending more than 800 students
to nine cities across the U.S. — from
Baltimore to Tucson, Ariz., and
from Newark, N.J., to New Orleans.
Congratulations to Western
Michigan University President
John M. Dunn, winner of a
2016 Giving Back Award from
INSIGHT Into Diversity
Volunteer work will address issues
ranging from disaster relief and
recovery to hunger and homelessness.
Historically, about 4,200 students
have participated in United Way ASB
programs since the organization started
offering them in 2006. Early efforts
focused on disaster relief and recovery
in response to Hurricane Katrina.
Brian Pham, co-founder of Break
A Difference, says that while he hopes
these experiences shape students, he
harbors no illusions that they will be
able to eliminate the pressing problems
they volunteer their time to addressing.
“They’re not going to solve
these issues in one week. That’s
not something we sell or have our
volunteers expect,” Pham says. “But
what we do expect and what we do see
in our data is, over the course of the
week, when [our volunteers] are able to
make a meaningful impact and meet
students from all over the U.S. with a
“Today, our student body
comes very close to mirroring
the makeup of our state’s
population, and we have
broadened the definition of
diversity to include the breadth
of diversity that represents and
includes all the populations we
wish to serve. Do we have more
to accomplish? Of course.”
Dr. John M. Dunn
President
Western Michigan University
2015 State of the University Address
wmich.edu/diversity
7.875x4.825 Diversity.indd 1
3/8/16 2:05
insightintodiversity.com
35PM
(Clockwise from left) Students help build homes
as part of United Way’s 2015 Alternative Spring
Break (ASB) in El Paso, Texas; ASB participants
hike the Franklin Mountains with Texas Sen. Eliot
Shapleigh; ASB participants at the Lower Valley
Housing Corporation site in El Paso
shared mission, they go back to their
communities wanting to do more for
others for the rest of their lives.”
This outcome — a long-term
commitment to service — is one reason
universities encourage their students to
get involved in ASBs.
“As a university, part of our mission
statement is [that] we want students
who have a strong commitment
to service,” says Jennifer Turner,
civic engagement coordinator at
the University of Bridgeport in
Connecticut. “So offering these
trips and other community service
experiences is in line with [our] overall
mission to do community service.”
Now in its 10th year of engaging
students through ASB, the University
of Bridgeport is partnering with Break
A Difference. This year, the university
is sending students to two ASB sites —
36
April 2016
one in Baltimore to work at homeless
shelters and food pantries in areas
affected by last summer’s protests, and
the other at an orphanage in Haiti.
The details of what the work in Haiti
involves are unknown until students
arrive on site — and that’s by design.
“One of the things about alternative
spring break is we don’t even tell our
students where they will be going until
after they’ve been selected for a trip,”
Turner says. “Part of that is because
we want students who are committed
to service and aren’t just looking for a
school vacation; we want students who
are committed to the idea of service and
are committed to doing it no matter
what that looks like or entails.”
Although students are volunteering
their time through ASBs, those who
do so with Break A Difference have to
somehow raise $395 to participate and
must find their own way to the site.
However, once they’re on site, Break A
Difference covers volunteers’ housing
and meals and arranges several outings
to help students gain a better sense of
the communities they will be serving.
Still, it’s no day at the beach.
In Baltimore, for instance, students
will sleep on cots in a gymnasium at a
local Boys and Girls Club. Pham says
the makeshift lodging is meant to keep
program costs down. And organizers
do their best to help students keep
things in perspective.
“We tell them and educate them that
in the communities they serve, these
accommodations are sometimes better
than [those] the families we’re serving
have,” Pham says.●
Jamaal Abdul-Alim is a contributing
writer for INSIGHT Into Diversity.
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Congratulations
Dr. Richard Pappas
and all those recognized
for the Giving Back Awards
Your vision and leadership help us
all to get where the world is going.
davenport.edu
Get where the world is going
insightintodiversity.com
37
[ Special Report: Leadership Support and Giving Back ]
Corporate Social Responsibility:
A Look at Northern Trust’s
Commitment to Giving Back
By Alexandra Vollman
F
or more than a century, global
financial services firm Northern
Trust has been giving back to
the communities in which its employees
live and work. Headquartered in
Chicago, the company currently has
more than 20 international locations
and 16,000 employees.
Guided by a longtime commitment
to corporate social responsibility,
Northern Trust has become a leader in
adopting inclusive workplace policies.—
for instance, launching domestic
partner benefits for employees in 1998,
15 years before the U.S. government
recognized same-sex marriage.
INSIGHT recently spoke with
Northern Trust’s head of corporate
social responsibility and global diversity
and inclusion, Connie Lindsey,
about the importance of businesses
contributing to society. She also
discussed the critical role diversity and
inclusion play in giving back to both
Northern Trust employees and the
communities they serve.
Q: Tell me about the history of
Northern Trust’s commitment to
social responsibility. How has its focus
on giving back shaped the company
and influenced its culture? How
have company leaders’ focus on these
efforts evolved over the years?
38
April 2016
A: Since our founding in 1889,
Northern Trust has always had a
commitment to the communities in
which [its employees] live and work.
In our long 127-year history, our core
values of service, expertise, and integrity
mean that we are acutely aware of
what I call the interconnectedness of
society and business. Giving back to
our communities means that we are
investing in ways that allow us to have
assurance that there’s talent available,
that we are providing the kinds of jobs
and opportunities for individuals to
have great careers at our firm.
On the community side, from a
corporate responsibility perspective,
we know that as we are able to support
communities, as we are involved and
engaged in helping society overall,
we’re doing our part to be good
corporate citizens. But our clients
and key stakeholders also have the
expectation that we are, as a firm,
doing the first thing that we have to
do, [which is] increasing or enhancing
shareholder value. Equally important
is that we are the kind of corporation
that understands how important it is to
make positive contributions to society.
… There is an expectation at very
senior levels of the corporation that
each of us, certainly as executives,
[should] be engaged in some volunteer
activity. We serve on various nonprofit
boards; we are on boards where our
clients are as well, so we are able to
engage with our clients as part of our
key stakeholder group on issues that
matter to them but also those that are
very important to us — whether it’s
education, the arts, or so on. It’s an
expectation for us as leaders.
At Northern Trust, we give our
employees, whom we call partners, two
paid days off every year to participate in
a volunteer activity of their choice. …
That’s so important to us to be able to
give back in that way, and in 2015, our
employees contributed over 150,000
volunteer hours, which is about a 20
percent increase over the number of
hours volunteered the year before. We
call it our “culture of caring” here at
Northern Trust. … Anyone who joins
the firm, and those who know us, know
that that is at the core of who we are.
Q: As both the chief diversity officer
and the head of corporate social
responsibility at Northern Trust,
what role do you believe diversity and
inclusion play in social responsibility,
and how have you taken on the job of
advocating for both?
A: ... The two, I think, are more
linked than people would believe. I
think about diversity and inclusion
as a way to enhance engagement, and
we all know that engagement drives
productivity. … For me, it’s important
to have diversity and inclusion as a part
of our corporate responsibility work.
We work very closely with human
resources in talent development and
acquisition, and … [that] allows us to
ensure that as we are attracting talent
to our corporation — as we seek to
train and develop that talent — we
Our giving is generally around
education, and we look to fund
organizations that provide supportive
services. If you think about diversity
and inclusion, it is diversity of
thought; the inclusion piece is access
to opportunity. Our contributions and
investments in our communities and
in society allow us to, number one,
articulate in a meaningful, tangible, and
measurable way our commitment to the
communities where we live and work.
empowering others in society through
what we produce at Northern Trust?”
We believe that as we empower
communities, as we try to alleviate
some of the challenges — and we know
we can’t address all of them — we
believe that education is a fundamental
platform from which peoples’ lives can
be transformed, thus allowing them to
make different choices about their lives.
Someone once said, “A mind once
expanded by a new idea can never go
“If we are enhancing education and opportunities
for all communities, we are then able to think about
better ways [of] increasing talent. If we are able
to help with wealth creation, education, and better
ways for people to live, I think society benefits as a
whole and Northern Trust does as well.”
Connie Lindsey
are then [able] to grow that through
promotion and retention. That is a
core part of employee engagement,
which leads to higher productivity and
people staying with the firm longer.
So corporate social responsibility and
diversity and inclusion, to me, are very
tightly woven together.
Q: According to Northern Trust’s
website, much of the company’s
charitable giving has been directed
at organizations that work to ensure
individuals’ full participation in
society and that foster opportunities
for communities to interact and
celebrate diversity. Why did you
choose this focus?
A: … In 2015, our giving was over $18
million across our 16,000 employees,
which was equated to 1.26 percent of
our pretax profit.
Second, it is a way for us to think about
shared value. I define shared value as
not only is a corporation required as a
publicly traded company, and has as a
goal, to increase shareholder value to
provide profit, but shared value also
says, “How do we contribute to society
to mitigate some of the societal issues
that we all face?” Those, in my opinion,
are not mutually exclusive.
We look primarily at early childhood
through high school [education], and
we really look at the services to students
in neighborhoods with the greatest
need — if the services aim to eliminate
barriers to academic success. Programs
can include tutoring, mentoring, college
readiness, social and emotional support,
and so on. That is something that’s
vitally important to us, and [through
our] corporate social responsibility
view, the way we look at it at Northern
Trust is, “How do we help facilitate
back to its original shape.” We believe
that as we are investing in education
and in communities, we are really
helping stretch the minds of those
individuals, and then they can see
different ways of looking at their lives
and the world.
Shared value then allows us to …
think about the diverse ways in which
we can address education issues,
disparities in various communities.
If we are enhancing education and
opportunities for all communities, we
are then able to think about better ways
[of ] increasing talent. If we are able to
help with wealth creation, education,
and better ways for people to live, I
think society benefits as a whole and
Northern Trust does as well.
Q: How do your clients benefit
from your focus on corporate social
responsibility?
insightintodiversity.com
39
A: … We want to be able to serve
our clients with a level of excellence.
… [An example of this is] our
socially responsible investments, or
ESG — environmental, social, and
governance.— investing. As our clients’
values shift and change, we’ve grown
our socially responsible investments
portfolio, or the assets that we manage
on behalf of our clients, in the past five
years from $5 billion in assets under
management to over $60 billion in
assets under management. What that
where we can have a measurable
impact on the lives of [people] in our
communities. For example, one goal of
an organization that we support … is
to close the college divide by enlisting
and training our nation’s best educators
to teach historically underserved high
school students on how to enroll in and
complete college. The Posse Foundation
is another example.
One other thing that we’ve done
from a community development
perspective is we have invested in
hope and intention is that they will
develop the patterns of behaviors and
skills that will allow them to complete
high school and perhaps [move] on
to college. That is important. But it
doesn’t mean we aren’t offering other
kinds of opportunities.
There are a few examples that we
have at the college level. In order
to increase the amount of diverse
candidates in environmental fields,
we funded a scholarship program at
Loyola University of Chicago’s Institute
“We are selective in our focus. We understand that [education] is a
continuum, and we want to have high impact. We’re not doing things
randomly; it’s a very focused approach so we can stay engaged in a way
that allows for a level of intimacy that conveys to recipients and donors
that we are not just here to write checks. We expect outcomes.”
suggests is that our clients, and society
overall, want to invest in companies
that share their sustainability views.
They want to have portfolios that
might exclude certain types of
industries. This notion of values-based
investing — we are asking our clients,
and they are telling us, “These are the
kinds of things that we’re interested
in” — comports very nicely with our
strategy and capabilities as a firm.
We are giving back by [listening to]
our clients, what they want and what
is important to them as they grow and
manage their wealth and seek to pass it
on to future generations.
Q: How does Northern Trust select
educational organizations to give to,
and what role does a commitment to
diversity and inclusion play in that
decision?
A: In our community affairs group, we
have a committee [that] … looks at
grant proposals, all of those requests
that come in, as well as [considers]
our goal as a firm to ensure that we
are looking at the greatest need and
40
April 2016
what is known as a social innovation
bond. We did one here in Chicago
that sought to address early childhood
education. … The program provides
early childhood education to students
over the life of the project through a
half-day child-parent center model.—
that works with both students and
their parents to improve educational
outcomes. Access to quality early
educational programs directly impacts
the success of students in elementary
school and beyond.
That investment is starting early on,
and that is another way we are helping
and benefiting the lives of the people in
the communities where we live and work.
Q: Northern Trust tends to address
educational disparities at earlier stages.
Why is it important to the organization
to begin closing gaps at the early
childhood and high school levels?
A: We don’t stop there. We certainly
think that is one of the most important
places to be because we know, and
research shows, that if we are able to
engage with young people early on, the
of Environmental Sustainability. It
prioritized women of color to provide
experiential learning opportunities for
first-generation, low-income students
who wouldn’t otherwise have access.
We were very intentional about that.
We also have the William and Cathy
Osborn Scholarship. That was created
to honor William Osborn, Northern
Trust’s former chairman and CEO. It is
a partnership with The Noble Network
of Charter Schools that selects one high
school graduate each year to receive a
scholarship to cover incidental expenses.
All scholars selected for that have been
minorities and the first in their family
to attend college.
We are selective in our focus.
We understand that [education] is
a continuum, and we want to have
high impact. We’re not doing things
randomly; it’s a very focused approach
so we can stay engaged in a way that
allows for a level of intimacy that
conveys to recipients and donors that
we are not just here to write checks. We
expect outcomes; we are interested in
how [our efforts] benefit society and
the organizations that we fund.
Q: You mentioned earlier that
employees are provided paid
volunteer time to work with partner
organizations during work hours.
In addition, the annual Chairman’s
Diversity Advocate Award Program
honors employees who champion the
company’s diversity efforts. Why is it
important to Northern Trust that its
employees share its same commitment
to serving their communities and
promoting diversity and inclusion?
A: I think the culture of our corporation
attracts people who share those values.
When you come to work at Northern
Trust, you feel it, you understand it; it
is behavior that is modeled from our
CEO, Frederick Waddell, throughout
the organization, and it is important to
us. Diversity and inclusion is a direct
driver of engagement. Engagement
then is a direct driver of employee
retention, of productivity. The way we
are treated pours over into how we treat
our clients, our communities, and so on.
The Chairman’s Diversity Award
event is quite an amazing thing. It is a
global award [and] a wonderful way to
highlight specific behaviors or projects
[employees have] done to ensure
diversity and inclusion — that everyone
in this inclusive environment knows
they can bring their whole self to work,
that they are valued for who they are
and what they bring. We set a rigorous
standard for excellence and how we
serve our clients, our communities,
and one another. That is an important
recognition for those individuals that
[allows us to] model their behavior.
We have 10 business resource
councils here at Northern Trust that
serve our employees. [Those include]
Advancing Professionals (the focus is
on partners who are in the early stages
of their career), Asian Leadership,
Black Business, Disability Business,
Experienced Professionals, Latin
Heritage, LGBT Business, Military
Appreciation and Assistance, Women
in Leadership, and Working Families.
… In doing this role of corporate
social responsibility and diversity and
inclusion, I often jokingly say, “This
is where I get to connect my soul to
my role,” because I’m able to take the
technical skills, and certainly the great
value that Northern Trust brings, and
tell what I think is an outstanding
story [about] how we are connecting
society and business for the benefit of
all of our stakeholders.●
Alexandra Vollman is the editor of
INSIGHT Into Diversity. For more
information about Northern Trust, visit
northerntrust.com.
inclusion
Leading the Way:
excellence
At NWTC, we believe great things happen when people
of different races, religions, genders, ethnicities,
national origins, sexual orientations, and abilities work
together for student success. We are cultivating a
welcoming and safe environment for all through our
college-wide iRespect campaign.
inspires
Dr. H. Jeffrey Rafn, NWTC President
A recipient of the INSIGHT Into Diversity
Giving Back Award for Presidents and Chancellors
NWTC is looking for individuals like you to help inspire
students and transform lives.
learn more at www.nwtc.edu/futurefaculty
insightintodiversity.com
41
[ Special Report: Leadership Support and Giving Back ]
West Virginia University Inspires
Connection to Community Through
Community Service Project
By Madeline Szrom
West Virginia University students participate in community service
projects as part of the university’s Million Hour Match program.
C
ompleting one million hours of
community service in three years
is a lofty goal, but it’s a challenge
West Virginia University (WVU) isn’t
backing down from. Administrators are
going one step further by challenging
West Virginia residents to match the
university’s efforts, and if all goes well,
both the campus community and citizens
of the state will have completed two
million hours of community service by
the end of 2017.
WVU President Gordon Gee says
that as a land-grant institution, WVU’s
mission centers around community
service. The university launched
the Million Hour Match program
in November 2014 as a way for the
campus community to continue acting
on its long-standing mission.
However, the project is about more
42
April 2016
than just completing service hours.
“West Virginia University has a
responsibility to bring all the resources
[it] can to improve and assist not only
our local community, but also the state,
nation, and world,” Gee says.
David Fryson, vice president in
the Division of Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion at WVU, says that initiatives
such as Million Hour Match are
exciting extensions of WVU’s deeply
rooted history.
“This isn’t just to gin up enthusiasm,”
Fryson says. “It’s part of the DNA of
the WVU community.”
How it Began
Students of WVU were the biggest
catalyst behind the initiative,
according to Kristi Wood-Turner,
director of learning and engagement
in WVU’s Center for Service and
Learning. The center teamed up with
students interested in growing the
school’s community service efforts to
brainstorm ideas, and Million Hour
Match was born.
“My main focus for the Million
Hour Match was to get as many
students involved as possible,” says
Timothy Bedunah, WVU senior and
student leader of the initiative. He
says he spoke with numerous student
organizations and groups as well as
media outlets about the project and was
thrilled to see so many people excited
about the idea.
With support from most of the
campus and local community, Bedunah
and other students then sought support
from university leadership to bring the
project to life.
The WVU campus community has contributed 280,000 community service hours thus far to the university’s Million Hour Match project.
“Our president was very much part
of making sure that, as a part of our
mission, this project was done in a big
way,” says Fryson.
Fryson, who also met the idea with
enthusiasm, quickly stepped up to help
develop the initiative, which he believes
is an important way to grow diversity and
bring the community and campus closer.
“I’m happy that it allows the
university to be at the grassroots
level,” he says. “My whole life has
been trying to tear down the walls
between institutions and the ground.
This is one way to climb down from
the ivory tower.”
The initiative quickly became not
just a student project but a call to
action for surrounding communities
and the entire state.
“Everyone likes a competition,”
Wood-Turner says. However, WVU
is encouraging students and residents
to think of the initiative as more of a
team project.
As a collaborative effort, Million
Hour Match combines the efforts
of WVU, Volunteer WV (the
state’s Commission for National
and Community Service), and
the Corporation for National and
Community Service, a federal
government agency that works with
more than five million U.S. citizens to
help them improve their communities
through service.
“The whole state is behind this,”
Wood-Turner says. “This is right in
line with what our governor [Earl Ray
Tomblin] wanted our state residents
to be doing. We really got them
to buy into the idea of being [our]
partners in this.”
How it Works
With a student body of nearly 30,000,
one of WVU’s biggest challenge with
Million Hour Match was how to
actually make the project work.
Making it accessible to all students
was important to Fryson and WoodTurner. They discovered that the best
way to do so is by using a database
system called iServe — the first of its
kind in the state — to help the Center
for Service and Learning record all
completed service hours.
“Through Million Hour Match,
we will be able to streamline service
data at WVU to show just how much
of a positive impact our land-grant
institution [is having] on the state,”
says Leah Cunningham, operations
coordinator and project leader for
the initiative.
“Students are so excited about what
they’re doing, so it hasn’t been too
difficult,” Wood-Turner adds. “They’ve
been happy to bring us their data and
track their hours.”
To keep students from getting
discouraged if they can’t find as much
time as they’d like to support the
initiative, Wood-Turner says each student
has been asked to try to complete a total
of 10 hours for the year — enough to
significantly contribute to the millionhour goal while also being realistic.
Engaging Students
and Communities
Three years is long enough for
students and residents to lose some of
their excitement over Million Hour
Match, so to help keep participants
focused and engaged, WVU created
12 (Big!) Days, a series of community
insightintodiversity.com
43
service opportunities centered around
holidays and special celebrations. A
committee.— appointed by the Center
for Service and Learning — selects
these days each year, and this year, it
chose Martin Luther King Jr. Day to
kick off the program.
Service projects this year will span
the Morgantown, Fairmont, and
Charleston communities, and WVU
has partnered with organizations
including the American Red Cross,
Morgantown Youth Services Projects,
and soup kitchens, to provide students
opportunities to give back.
Fryson says he was impressed by
student participation on Martin Luther
King Jr. Day, as well as their dedication.—
witnessed by their willingness to travel
long distances to help those in need in
surrounding communities.
“We had students traveling two and a
half hours to do work,” he says.
44
April 2016
Wood-Turner says students have
also been working to build more
interest and increase participation
by orchestrating a range of activities,
including food drives.
Students who put in more than
100 hours of service are eligible
for WVU’s President’s Volunteer
Service Award; those selected
receive a congratulatory letter
from the president of the United
States. The award includes several
levels — bronze, silver, and gold.—
and students completing more
than 4,000 hours of service are
eligible for the President’s Lifetime
Achievement Award.
With more than 280,000 verified
hours of service completed thus far,
Cunningham says she is confident
WVU will reach its goal. And
beyond the positive impact this
service is having on the campus and
surrounding communities, what
she finds to be the most intriguing
aspect of Million Hour Match is
its ability to “inspire learning and
promote civic engagement.”
For Gee, these qualities are
part of the initiative’s larger
focus on helping students grow
as compassionate leaders in their
communities.
“It’s important that students
learn and be exposed to a variety of
experiences outside the classroom,
and the importance of giving back
to one’s community is at the top
of that list,” Gee says. “Creating an
ethic of service is a key value that
we hope will remain with them as
they move into their communities
upon graduation.” ●
Madeline Szrom is a contributing
writer for INSIGHT Into Diversity.
Photo by Matthew Septimus
Photo by Matthew Septimus
Inclusion
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www.columbia.edu
www.columbia.edu
www.columbia.edu
INSIGHT Into Diversity recognizes college presidents and chancellors who go above
and beyond their everyday duties to give back to their institutions and communities.
Recipients of the 2016 INSIGHT Into Diversity Giving Back Award were nominated by
colleagues and selected by INSIGHT Into Diversity based on their diversity leadership,
their deep commitment to charitable service on and off campus, and their programs that
engage students and employees in community service.
Above: (clockwise from top left) Robin E. Bowen, president of Arkansas Tech University, rakes leaves at Burris Memorial Plaza in
downtown Russellville, Ark., in November 2015, as part of the university’s annual Green and Gold Give Back service day. (photo by
Liz Chrisman); Nashville Mayor Megan Barry with George Hill, Vanderbilt University vice chancellor for equity, inclusion, and diversity,
Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos (middle), and Vanderbilt students; Jackson State University (JSU) President Carolyn W. Meyers with
Tarita Benson Davis, a member of the JSU National Alumni Association, during the 2011 homecoming parade; President of Wayne State
University Dr. M. Roy Wilson and his wife Jacquelyn (right) at a Covenant House vigil to raise awareness of youth homelessness
Jackie Jenkins-Scott
President, Wheelock College
Civic Involvement
Member of the board of directors of the Boston Foundation, John F. Kennedy Presidential
Library and Museum, Schott Foundation for Public Education, Tufts Health Plan, and
Century Bank
Campus Community Service
Under Jenkins-Scott’s leadership, Wheelock made a 10-year commitment to rebuilding
New Orleans; as part of this effort, students and faculty members take two annual trips
to Louisiana.
Assessing Diversity and Inclusion Efforts
The WheeEngage Initiative, initiated by Jenkins-Scott, seeks to facilitate the continued advancement of campus
discourse with respect to diversity, equity, and social justice. Last year, WheeEngage focused on gathering
information to understand the experiences and perspectives of underrepresented members of the Wheelock
community. Through interviews, focus groups, observation, and a climate survey, the initiative provided insight
into diversity and inclusion strengths, challenges, opportunities, resistance, and equity goals.
Established Initiatives
International Visiting Scholars, a program that brings to campus scholars from all over the world; International
Service Learning Program, which provides Wheelock students with opportunities for short-term international
service experiences; Campus Response Engagement and Wellness (CREW), a team that assists campus faculty,
administrators, and staff with providing appropriate and timely responses to incidents, issues, and challenges
related to diversity and inclusion on campus, as well as assists with promoting a healthy campus climate and
awareness of intersectional diversity, equity, and social justice issues
Awards and Recognitions
Boston Business Journal’s 2014 Women of Influence Award; 2010 COLOR Magazine Change Agent Award;
Associated Industries of Massachusetts Legacy of Leadership Award; Pinnacle Lifetime Achievement Award
from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
Nomination Excerpt
“President Jenkins-Scott is committed to creating, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity,
and inclusion that values the uniqueness of every individual and actively promotes social justice. [She] strives
to demonstrate this by embracing and celebrating all races, ethnic backgrounds, cultures, age groups, gender
identities or expressions, religions, languages, sexual orientations, abilities and disabilities, economic statuses, and
diverse perspectives.
“… Overall, and most importantly, President Jenkins-Scott is a leader who cares. She cares about the professional
development, experience, and well-being of each and every member of the Wheelock community. Her concern for
the progression of our community is genuine and sincere.”
Left: John J. Rainone, president of Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, adopted a family and raised more than $500
worth of toys, clothes, and gift cards to make the holidays special for them. Right: More than 50 incoming Mount Wachusett
Community College students participate in the college’s annual two-day Summer Leadership Academy — which includes a
civic engagement component — an initiative supported by President Daniel M. Asquino.
insightintodiversity.com
47
[ Giving Back Awards ]
H. Jeffrey Rafn, PhD
President, Northeastern Wisconsin Technical College
Civic Involvement
Executive committee member of Achieve Brown County; member of the Community
Partnership for Children and Achieving the Dream
Campus Community Service
In 2005, Rafn chartered a Service-Learning Team to create additional service-learning
opportunities and provide resources for faculty. Now, Service-Learning — an individual
division at Northeastern Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) — is integrated into and
enhances the curriculum, providing an opportunity for students to apply the skills they’ve
learned. Under Rafn’s leadership, Service-Learning grew last year to include 4,324 students, who contributed more
than 57,000 hours of service.
Collaborating for Student Success
To enhance both diversity and student success, Rafn directed the creation of dual-credit partnerships with Green
Bay high schools — which draw about 50 percent of their students from underrepresented populations — and set a
goal that every Green Bay high school student will graduate with college credits already earned.
Supporting Native American Communities
A new partnership with the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, made possible by Rafn, ensures regular high-level
meetings between NWTC and tribal education officials to promote college attainment and student success. One of
these programs, a series of Connecting Families events, offers free, fun, educational, and interactive experiences to
NWTC students and their families and Oneida families. Other initiatives include K-12 career exploration events and
tracking of student success.
Diversity and Inclusion Actions
Created five student support specialist positions, which provide case management and wraparound support
services for Southeast Asian, Native American, Hispanic, and African American students; hired a senior executive
to focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion at the college; instituted NWTC’s Diversity Team, which focuses on
creating a healthy campus climate for all; created the President’s Diversity Council, which is composed of leaders
from Brown County who advise Rafn and NWTC’s director of diversity and inclusion on community matters
pertaining to equity
Nomination Excerpt
“Rafn has demonstrated the importance of community engagement and valuing differences in every facet of the
college. He brought to NWTC the certain knowledge that if we find a problem we are uniquely qualified to solve
or an opportunity to benefit our community that we are uniquely positioned to act on, we have a responsibility to
do so. His commitment to making NWTC welcoming and accessible has resulted in reorganizations, new staffing,
new programming, and more — even when the college was cutting back on more traditional offerings. He has
put the college to work for its community by creating strategic goals and hard measurements related to student
achievement gaps, diversifying employee recruitment, and increasing community service.”
Left: President of Union College Stephen C. Ainlay speaks with residential advisers. Right: President of Webster University
Elizabeth “Beth” J. Stroble and Associate Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Nicole Roach meet with students in the
Marilyn R. Fox Student Welcome Center to discuss diversity and inclusion topics in January 2016.
48
April 2016
Richard J. Pappas, EdD
President, Davenport
University
William W. Destler, PhD
President, Rochester
Institute of Technology
Civic Involvement
Board chairman of the local
United Way; board member of
West Michigan's President's
Compact Committee, which
is devoted to promoting antiracism on member campuses
Civic Involvement
Board member of the
National Association of
Independent Colleges and
Universities, American
Council on Education’s
Commission on Effective
Leadership, National Institute
of Aerospace Foundation, New York’s Commission
on Independent Colleges and Universities
Faculty Community Service
To support community engagement, Pappas
supported the creation of a Voluntary Time Off policy
for university faculty and staff, which provides each
employee up to three days per year that they can use
to volunteer in the community.
Established Initiative
Alpha League, an African American Male
Fraternity focused on attracting, retaining, and
graduating African American males by promoting
brotherhood to men of diverse ethnic, racial, and
socioeconomic backgrounds
Leading by Example
Based on feedback from the university’s firstever diversity audit, Pappas created the position
of executive director of the Office of Diversity,
Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and formed a crossfunctional DEI Council to integrate diversity efforts
into the university’s culture. He also supported the
development and delivery of three levels of DEI
training and education over three years and required
all employees to attend — starting with himself.
Nomination Excerpt
"Under President Pappas' leadership, Davenport
University has increased the diversity of the faculty
and staff, enhanced the culture, increased awareness
of the value of diversity, become the only private
institution to implement same-sex domestic
partner benefits, and coordinated efforts with other
universities to improve the recruitment, retention,
and graduation of minorities. As a result of Pappas’
efforts, Davenport University has the second most
diverse student population in the state of Michigan,
with minorities representing 30 percent.”
Established Initiative
The Rochester City Scholars program, which
awards scholarships to eligible students that cover
the full cost of tuition at Rochester Institute of
Technology (RIT)
Native American Advancement
Destler recently expanded the role of Peter Jemison,
a member of the Heron tribe of the Seneca Nation,
by appointing him RIT’s first special adviser to the
president on Native American issues and partnership
with tribal organizations; his role is to strengthen
and build collaborative partnerships between the
Native American community and the university.
Destler was also instrumental in developing RIT’s
Native American Advisory Council, which fosters
relationships to help make higher education more
attractive to native scholars and assists them in
returning to their communities after graduation.
Nomination Excerpt
“[President Destler’s] commitment to the [Division
for Diversity and Inclusion] is as strong as his
commitment to the overall message about the
importance of diversity and inclusion. He has helped
establish a campus that is open to multicultural
events and multiple ideas. This is a president who
is able to connect with the campus, but has taken
his role as part of the greater Rochester community
very seriously. He understands that RIT is a part of
that community [and that] it can help influence not
only the economy, but also the social and personal
relationships between people. He has been consistent
with his message that RIT is committed to Rochester.”
“We will continue to examine, discuss, and debate the accomplishments and merits of
every belief system, be it political, religious, nationalistic, or philosophical. That's what
education is about. But at [Western Michigan University], we must and will carry out such
discussions in an atmosphere of civility and one that begins with the basic American
premise that all beliefs are respected and equal in the eyes of the law.”
John M. Dunn
President of Western Michigan University
insightintodiversity.com
49
[ Giving Back Awards ]
John M. Dunn, EdD
President, Western
Michigan University
Civic Involvement
Elected associate member
regional representative of
the Hispanic Association of
Colleges and Universities;
member of the board of
directors of Southwest
Michigan First, a community
partnership of leaders in
private business, education, and government to assist
new and expanding enterprise
Campus Community Service
With Dunn’s support, Western Michigan University
(WMU) established the Office of Service Learning
in 2010. It seeks to connect and engage students,
faculty, and the community in projects that
intentionally redistribute power, create egalitarian
partnerships, and generate deeper learning and civic
engagement to benefit the greater community. In
2014, more than 6,500 service-learning students
served 26,870 hours in the community.
Engaging with and Supporting Students
Dunn openly encourages students, faculty, staff,
and the public to email him directly with concerns
or questions, which he usually responds to within a
day. He also ensures that the voices of international
students are heard by hosting several luncheons each
year to meet with and learn from students from each
country represented on campus. In addition, every
time the WMU Board of Trustees increases his salary,
Dunn donates that money to student scholarships.
Ensuring Equity in Education
Dunn supported the creation of the Foster Youth and
Higher Education Initiative, a scholarship program for
students transitioning out of the Michigan foster care
system. He has also supported a unique admissions
program in which WMU provides in-state tuition
rates, significant tuition assistance, and a housing
award for qualified undocumented students who
graduate from Michigan high schools; the program
for trafficked youth; and the new Foundation
Scholars Program, which awards need-based
scholarships to students who earned high GPAs in
high school.
Nomination Excerpt
“President Dunn is a model for encouraging
diversity and inclusion at [WMU]. He is bold
enough to seek areas for potential improvement
and implement corrective action when necessary.
In speeches, written correspondence, and public
appearances, President Dunn has repeatedly
explained that although the WMU Campus Climate
Study was overall more positive than negative,
there is still work to be done.”
50
April 2016
Elizabeth “Beth” J.
Stroble, PhD
President, Webster
University
Civic Involvement
Board member of the
National Association of
Independent Colleges and
Universities, Mercy Hospital
of St. Louis, and United Way
of Greater St. Louis’ Women's
Leadership Society; member of the International
Association of University Presidents and the
International Women's Forum
Support for Community Service
Annually, Webster University sponsors a campuswide community service day in partnership with local
nonprofit organizations. Students, faculty, staff, and
alumni work in teams on projects that range from
tutoring to gardening.
Since the start of Webster Works Worldwide, more
than 31,000 volunteers have contributed more
than 134,000 hours of service, and under Stroble’s
leadership, participation has increased.
Inclusive Programming
Stroble has supported Webster First, an initiative that
promotes the success of Webster University students
who identify as first-generation college students. The
initiative is a campus-wide collaboration dedicated to
providing academic resources, social and emotional
support, financial literacy education, opportunities
for campus and community involvement, and career
readiness for first-generation students. She has also
helped secure funds for the Student Literacy Corps, a
group of students who tutor elementary, middle, and
high school students to improve literacy.
Awards and Recognitions
Recognized as one of St. Louis Business Journal’s
“Most Influential Businesswomen” in 2010 and by
the St. Louis NAACP as an inspiring leader in 2012;
Saint Louis Argus' 2011 Distinguished Citizen Award;
the Jewish Community Relations Council's Norman
A. Stack Community Relations Award; named a 2013
“Woman of Achievement in Educational Leadership”
by St. Louis Community Empowerment Foundation
Nomination Excerpt
“Elizabeth Stroble leads Webster University's mission
as a worldwide institution, transforming students for
individual excellence and global citizenship. Since her
arrival, she has demonstrated her commitment to the
success of those in the Webster community, not just
through words, but also through consistent actions.
She possesses a dynamic grace that influences the
Webster community, domestically and internationally,
to … transform the institution into one of inclusive
excellence. Having the ability to lead with her head
and heart is admirable.”
Congratulates
UMass Lowell
Chancellor
Jacqueline F. Moloney
Giving Back Award.
on winning the
Her efforts,
spanning three decades,
have made UMass Lowell
a more diverse,
more inclusive and
stronger institution.
insightintodiversity.com
51
[ Giving Back Awards ]
John J. Rainone, EdD
President, Dabney S.
Lancaster Community
College
Civic Involvement
President of the local Rotary
Club; board member of the
LewisGale Hospital Alleghany
and Alleghany Highlands
Economic Development
Corporation
Supporting Students
Rainone established a veterans services center on
campus to assist student veterans and their families
with all aspects of applying and enrolling, as well as
filing for financial aid. He also secured grant funding
to help dual-enrolled students and their families
cover out-of-pocket costs.
Engaging Underrepresented Students
Rainone approved the launching of a new club to
engage African American students in areas in which
few are involved. This student club, which is open
to the public, provides open meetings and initiates
dialogue among its members.
Recognition
Recognized as a "Mover and Shaker" by Seacoast
Media Group in 2013
Nomination Excerpt
“Rainone is all about students of all backgrounds.
As a first-generation college student himself, he
continually strives to reduce barriers for those
seeking postsecondary education. [He] leads by
example [and] does not ask anyone to do anything
that he himself would not be willing to do. In every
work group — from collecting trash and [doing]
yard work for community homes to painting walls
to brighten up student lounge areas — he takes
the lead and puts in numerous hours beyond those
required of his position. … [He] regularly asks,
‘What can we do to make this college and the
community better?’"
Robin E. Bowen, EdD
President, Arkansas
Tech University
Civic Involvement
Member of the WinRock
Breakthrough Community
Development Initiative
and Workforce Innovation
Opportunity Act Committee
Her Passion
Bowen has a passion for foster children; she and her
husband were foster parents for 12 years.
Supporting Hispanics in Higher Education
Bowen encouraged efforts for Arkansas Tech
University to reach out to the growing Hispanic
population in the state; this effort has included
distributing to local high schools bilingual posters
and flyers providing students advice on how to
prepare for college. Bowen has also worked with
the Mexican Consulate of Little Rock, Ark., to obtain
scholarship support for students of Mexican descent.
Emphasizing Diversity
Established the Office of Diversity and Inclusion
within the Division of Student Services
Awards and Recognitions
First female president of a public, four-year university
in Arkansas; named one of AY Magazine’s “Most
Powerful Women”
Nomination Excerpt
“Under Bowen’s leadership, Arkansas Tech has
implemented measures to be more intentional
in its recruitment of underrepresented faculty,
administrators, and staff. The anticipated outcome of
these measures will be increased academic success
for students from underrepresented populations.
“… Dr. Bowen continually demonstrates leadership in
the area of social justice to all she interacts with in
the community — in her professional role and in her
personal life.”
“I ask each of you, all of you, to join me in working toward a stronger culture
of social justice, where, as Martin Luther King Jr. stated, we are judged by the
content of our character and our abilities rather than the color of our skin — and
I add, or by our gender, whom we choose to love, or what we call the personal
God we serve … — to move beyond tolerance to respect, respect for different
opinions, cultures, and beliefs that are different from our own. I challenge us
to truly celebrate diversity in all of its forms, which in turn makes us a stronger
institution and a stronger community.”
Robin E. Bowen
President of Arkansas Tech University
52
April 2016
Carolyn W. Meyers, PhD
President, Jackson State University
Civic Involvement
Member of the board of directors for the American Council on Education’s Advisory
Board, Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education, and the National Science
Foundation’s Center for Engineering and Learning
Holiday Giving
Rather than purchase holiday gifts for her direct employees, Meyers purchased bicycles
for 50 children in foster care who would have otherwise not received anything during the
holiday season.
Building Community Partnerships
Under Meyers’ leadership, Jackson State University (JSU) partners with 100 Black Men of Jackson, the American
Cancer Society, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Habitat for Humanity, Human Rights Campaign, Jackson Public
Schools, and University of Mississippi Medical Center, as well as many other community organizations.
On-Campus Initiatives
Pushed for the creation of the Cyber Learning Initiative, an on-campus digital learning ecosystem, which led to
JSU being recognized by Apple as an Apple Distinguished School for 2013-2015 and 2015-2017; created a task
force to develop and implement a program that will allow veterans credit for prior learning
Diversity and Inclusion Achievement
Established the position of chief diversity and equal employment opportunity officer, which reports directly to her office
Encouraging Faculty Scholarship
Meyers initiated the Creative Awards and the Faculty and Staff Excellence Awards, which promote innovation,
collaboration, and creativity with an emphasis on world issues and excellence in teaching, research, and service.
Awards and Recognitions
Named a 2015 “Woman of the Year” in education by the Mississippi Commission on the Status of Women; 2014
National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers President's
Award for Excellence in STEM Research and Mentoring; 2014 HBCU Digest’s “Female President of the Year”;
National Society of Black Engineers' Golden Torch Award; National Science Foundation's Presidential Young
Investigator Award
Nomination Excerpt
“Carolyn Meyers is intimately aware of the benefits and challenges of providing an affordable and inclusive education
to underrepresented students. Her own story — of facing challenges of underrepresented groups in society generally
and of facing challenges in obtaining access to education because of her [own] race or gender more specifically —
further endows her with the drive and compassion for underrepresented, [as well as] for all, students.”
Left: The University of Massachusetts (UMass) Lowell commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in 2015 with on-campus programs, including an event with activists Charles Cobb and Judy
Richardson and a photo exhibit of iconic images of the Selma to Montgomery marches. Attending the exhibit’s opening were
(from left) Luis Falcon, dean of UMass Lowell’s College of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Cobb; Richardson; and
UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacqueline F. Moloney. (photo by Meghan Moore) Right: Father Dennis H. Holtschneider, president of
DePaul University, greets students as they arrive at the Sullivan Athletic Center in September 2015 for New Student Service Day.
(photo by DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief)
insightintodiversity.com
53
[ Giving Back Awards ]
M. Roy Wilson, MD
President, Wayne State
University
Diversity and Inclusion Actions
Created the position of
associate provost for
diversity and inclusion/chief
diversity officer; established
the Office of Multicultural
Student Engagement
Established Initiatives
Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD),
a program funded by the National Institutes of
Health and focused on improving the pipeline of
underrepresented students in careers in the sciences
and biomedical fields; Helping Individuals Go Higher
(HIGH), a program established to meet the needs of
homeless and financially challenged students
Addressing Equity Issues
Dr. Wilson created the Detroit Equity Action Lab
(DEAL), a grant initiative in which six nonprofit
organizations are participating to address racial
equity, healthcare, education, food security, safety,
and housing in the region.
Nomination Excerpt
“The same values that have made Dr. Wilson an
outstanding physician, university president, and
community stakeholder are being imparted to [our]
students and employees. He is seeking to transform
this community through the generosity of investors,
which translates into jobs and opportunities.”
Vicki Hawsey
Karolewics, EdD
President, Wallace State
Community College
Established Initiatives
Circle K (Kiwanis) and
Rotaract (Rotary), service
organizations for students
focused on improving the
lives and well-being of the
citizens served by Wallace
State Community College
Improving Diversity
As part of her five-year diversity plan to help ensure
underrepresented students’ success, she led the
college in improving career pathways through
stackable credentials and expansive credit and
noncredit offerings. As a result, Wallace State’s
most recent graduation rate increased from 24 to 34
percent — the highest in Alabama.
Nomination Excerpt
“Karolewics is an outstanding, socially responsible
leader because of her full support of the mission of
the community college system, which is to teach,
support, and train all members of our community
in the broadest sense. Not only does she devote
considerable time and energy to supporting the
community at large, but [she also] uses every
opportunity to professionally develop both faculty
and staff on cultural differences, unintentional
biases, sexual orientation, inclusive classrooms,
high-impact practices, innovative pedagogy, and
socioeconomic differences.”
Jerry L. Steward, JD
President, Oklahoma City Community College
Civic Involvement
Member of the Board of Commissioners of the Oklahoma City Housing Authority, the Greater
Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce Education and Workforce Development Steering
Committee, board of directors for Integris Southwest Medical Center, the State Chamber of
Commerce of Oklahoma, and Allied Arts Oklahoma City
Established Initiatives
Students Connecting with Mentors for Success, a program that connects at-risk student
cohorts with mentors in the community; the Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC)
Capitol Hill Center, where courses — geared toward low-income and Hispanic communities — are offered in
computer and tech training, workforce development, and English language learning
Unlikely Path to the Presidency
Steward began his career as a public school teacher and later established his own law firm, where he was senior
partner for more than 20 years.
Nomination Excerpt
“Community colleges are traditionally about access, but Jerry Steward determined that it is not enough
that students pass through the doors of [OCCC]. … As a lifelong Oklahoma resident, Steward’s passion for
education began early in life — he credits education as his key to escaping poverty, broadening his worldview,
and expanding his career opportunities.”
54
April 2016
Jacqueline F. Moloney,
EdD, Chancellor,
University of
Massachusetts Lowell
Civic Involvement
Former board member of
Girls Inc. of greater Lowell,
which provides educational
and enrichment opportunities
for young girls, especially
those from minorities or lowincome families
Meeting the Community’s Needs
Moloney has greatly supported the university’s
Community Connections Network, an online
platform where local nonprofit organizations can
connect with faculty and staff to collaborate on
service learning and volunteerism. Also, one of her
signature efforts, the DifferenceMaker Program, is
aimed at combining hands-on learning and practical
experience with community service.
Fundraising for Students
Understanding that accessibility and affordability
go hand in hand to make higher education
possible, Moloney raised more than $1.5 million for
endowed scholarships for students.
Institutionalizing Diversity and Inclusion
Moloney made “Global Engagement and Inclusive
Culture” one of the university’s five Pillars of
Excellence in its 2020 strategic plan. To date, her
efforts around diversity and inclusion have resulted
in a 10 percent increase in underrepresented minority
undergraduates — from 21 to 31 percent — between
2007 and 2015 and a 19 percent and 11 percent
increase in the number of minority faculty and staff
members, respectively, since 2007.
Established Initiative
The Diverse Faculty and Staff Network allows faculty
and staff of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups
to connect and create meaningful relationships across
departments and academic disciplines.
Nomination Excerpt
“Moloney’s career at the University of Massachusetts
(UMass) Lowell spans 30 years and all levels. Her
varying roles have provided her with a comprehensive
view of the campus. But making a first-rate education
accessible to all deserving students has always been
her primary goal. As the chancellor, Moloney strives
to ensure that the campus reflects the diversity
and varied interests of the community in which it is
located. She is one of nine children and the first in her
family to graduate from college. She fully appreciates
the value of an education and the importance of
making it affordable and accessible. As the first
woman elected chancellor in UMass Lowell’s 121year history, she has championed opportunity and
inclusiveness for all.”
Harvey Kesselman, EdD
President, Stockton
University
Civic Involvement
Co-chair of the New Jersey
Campus Compact, a national
coalition of college presidents
committed to fulfilling the
civic purposes of higher
education; member of the
New Jersey Governor's
Panel on Affirmative Action Policy Development,
New Jersey Commission on Higher Education’s
Committee of Experts on Campus Sexual Assault
Issues, and New Jersey Office of Hispanic Affairs
Advisory Committee; founding member of Operation
College Promise, an education, policy, and research
project that supports student veterans
Promoting Community Service
Kesselman has been instrumental in providing
funding and other resources for Stockton
University’s Days of Service, held every year on
Martin Luther King Jr. Day and a Saturday in
September. Students receive college credit for their
community service, which is tied into more than
100 courses — a program Kesselman initiated in his
previous position as provost.
Community Support
Under Kesselman’s leadership, the Stockton Center
for Community Engagement launched an ongoing,
campus-wide food drive. In 2014 alone, with the
help of students, faculty, and staff, the university
donated more than 1,170 pounds of food to local
food pantries.
Supported Initiatives
Educational Opportunity Fund, a program designed
to meet the educational and financial needs of
students whose potential may not be reflected
in their grades and whose economic background
makes it extremely difficult for them to pursue a
college education without financial aid
Nomination Excerpt
“Kesselman’s extraordinary commitment to and
profound understanding of higher education’s
culture and history are always linked to
accountability, assessment, and transparency. He
is first and foremost a listener. He is an engaging,
motivational speaker, equally at ease, respectful,
and caring [of] people from all walks of life. [He] is
also a strong advocate for shared governance and
has implemented several initiatives at Stockton to
engage and empower faculty, staff, administrators,
and students — along with the university’s board
of trustees — to engage in best practices to propel
the mission of the university. … Time and time again,
he has distinguished himself as a doer, a founder,
and a solid [and] unwavering voice of trust and
compassion for others.”
insightintodiversity.com
55
ARE
YOU
TOUGH
ENOUGH
TO
GIVE BACK
TO OTHERS?
For twelve years, President Jackie
Jenkins-Scott has led Wheelock College
by example. Her unwavering personal
commitment to diversity and inclusion
serves as inspiration for students, faculty,
staff, and alumni. We are thrilled to see her
honored with the prestigious INSIGHT into
Diversity Giving Back Award.
Learn more at wheelock.edu
Insight Ad.indd 1
3/3/16 3:37 PM
CONGRATULATIONS
DR. WILLIAM DESTLER
On receiving the Giving Back Diversity Leadership Award.
Your commitment to diversity at RIT and in the Greater
Rochester area is a remarkable example of how individuals
can make a significant difference toward building better,
more inclusive communities.
WWW.RIT.EDU
56
April 2016
Lee C. Bollinger, JD
President, Columbia
University in the City of
New York
Civic Involvement
Member of the American
Civil Liberties Union Advisory
Council, Association for a
Better New York, Council
on Foreign Relations, and
Kresge Foundation Board of
Trustees; member of the board of directors for the
National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
at Columbia University
Signature Initiative
Bollinger established the Mortimer B. Zuckerman
Mind Brain Behavior Institute, a neuroscience
research center that offers community outreach and
education programs to advance the understanding of
neurological and mental illnesses — from Alzheimer’s
to autism spectrum disorder.
Investing in Faculty Diversity
With Bollinger’s support, Columbia University has
invested $83 million over the last decade to support
the recruitment and retention of underrepresented
faculty. In the 2014-2015 academic year, Columbia
had 136 underrepresented minority tenured and
tenure-track faculty, the most of any of the four “IvyPlus” institutions.
An Advocate for Affirmative Action
During his tenure as president of the University
of Michigan, Bollinger led the university’s legal
defense in Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger.
In both cases, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld and
clarified the importance of diversity as a compelling
justification for affirmative action in higher education.
Nomination Excerpt
“Under Bollinger’s leadership, Columbia has reflected
the values of racial, cultural, and socioeconomic
diversity in its own admission and financial aid
policies, becoming one of the most accessible
among peer institutions for low-income, firstgeneration, and minority students. … An advocate for
the core value of racial, cultural, and socioeconomic
diversity to American higher education and society,
Bollinger has written and spoken widely about the
importance of expanding access to higher education
through affirmative action.”
Terri L. Winfree, PhD
President, Prairie
State College
Civic Involvement
Board member of the Illinois
Council of Community College
Administrators, Chicago
Southland Convention and
Visitors Bureau, Chicago
Southland Economic
Development Corporation,
and Will County Center for Economic Development;
founding board member of the Professional
Women's Network
Her Passion
Winfree volunteers at the Chicago Metro Correctional
Center, teaching inmates entrepreneurship skills they
can use once they are released.
Ensuring Minority Student Success
Under Winfree’s leadership, the college expanded its
dual-degree program with Governors State University
(GSU) to focus on men of color. The program will
now bring high school students to Prairie State
College to receive extensive support services to
ensure degree completion, giving them the ability to
transfer to GSU for their bachelor’s.
Winfree also established the Hispanic Outreach
Advisory Committee, which is composed of
members from the Hispanic community who offer
guidance on college programming. To better assist
Hispanic students with obtaining jobs, Prairie State
began offering certificate training, including a
new Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC)
program offered in Spanish.
Award
The 2015 Women in Leadership Award from the Link
and Option Center
Nomination Excerpt
“Prairie State College is a predominantly black
institution (PBI) serving the most heterogeneous
community college district in Illinois — geographically,
socioeconomically, and racially. President Winfree
has been instrumental in the college's efforts to
obtain grants for PBI institutions, including a Male
Success Initiative grant, a more than $2 million STEM
grant, and two TRiO grants that provide services and
support to our disadvantaged students.”
“Morally and ethically, I think if someone was brought [to the U.S.] when they were a
child — they didn’t even know the country they were born in — then I think we have an
obligation to make sure they have the skills and education to succeed.”
Daniel M. Asquino
President of Mount Wachusett Community College
insightintodiversity.com
57
[ Giving Back Awards ]
Stephen C. Ainlay, PhD
President, Union College
in New York
Established Initiative
The Presidential Forum on
Diversity, an initiative focused
on fostering conversations
about diversity and inclusion
across the Union College
campus that has featured wellknown speakers, including
Maya Angelou, Soledad
O’Brien, and more
Diversity and Inclusion Actions
Established the position of chief diversity officer
at Union; the Unity Room, a safe space for
conversations and dialogues around topics related
to diversity and inclusion; a prayer and meditation
room to provide a safe space for people of all
religions to pray on campus
Increasing Cultural Competence
Ainlay supported efforts to establish a diversity
and inclusion certification course for faculty and
administrators. The course assists employees with
understanding where they are on the cultural
competence spectrum and in learning about
diversity in order to improve campus climate.
Lecture topics include microaggressions, race and
culture, religious and spiritual life, mental health and
disability, and LGBTQ and equity.
Nomination Excerpt
“President Ainlay has a positive, welcoming
relationship with our students from traditionally
marginalized populations. While our students were
leading protests around Black Lives Matter and
other national concerns, the president supported
their efforts by wearing the colors students were
marching in and by attending these rallies in
solidarity. Afterwards, the students thanked him for
his support and also shared some of their concerns
and plans for the next term.”
Eric J. Barron, PhD
President, The
Pennsylvania State
University
Encouraging
Community Service
Barron has continuously
encouraged participation in
the Martin Luther King Jr.
Day of Service and teaches
a Presidential Leadership
Academy course that encourages community
involvement.
Commitment to Students’ Concerns
Barron has continued to uphold student activism,
and he has shown his support for students by
participating in an on-campus Black Lives Matter
rally. Also, to address students’ concerns related to
tuition costs, he has launched several initiatives to
increase affordability by freezing in-state tuition and
by ensuring that students have adequate financial
and academic assistance to graduate in four years.
An Appreciation for Culture
His support has been instrumental in re-establishing
the New Faces of an Ancient People Traditional
American Indian Pow Wow at Penn State, a signature
diversity event that has historically brought more
than 6,000 visitors, 150 volunteers, almost 200
dancers, six drums, and the highest quality native
vendors to central Pennsylvania.
Nomination Excerpt
“President Barron really gets diversity, and he’s very
willing to stand up for it. … [He] demonstrates his
support of diversity and inclusion on a daily basis.
Through the diversity strategic planning and review
process that Penn State has engaged in since the
mid 1990s, it has become clear that active, visible
leadership from the top makes all the difference.
President Barron demonstrates that active and
visible support very consistently, and that will make
all the difference for Penn State.”
Left: Union College students during a community service day; Right: President of Prairie State College Terri L. Winfree hands
diplomas to graduates at the university’s 2015 commencement ceremony.
58
April 2016
Daniel M. Asquino, PhD
President, Mount
Wachusett Community
College
Civic Involvement
Member of the New England
College Council; chair of the
Massachusetts Community
College Council’s Labor
Relations Committee
and Distance Education
Committee
Building the Pipeline
The Division of Access and Transition Asquino
founded nearly two decades ago offers 18 programs
to ease the transition into postsecondary education
and improve career readiness for first-generation,
low-income, and minority middle and high school
students. The division will also administer Mount
Wachusett Community College’s (MWCC) recently
received $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services to establish a
Workforce Diversity Pipeline program at two high
schools in the region.
Campus Community Service
Over the past 15 years, Asquino has fervently
worked to integrate civic engagement into the
college culture as well as the greater community. In
2001, he declared a “Decade of Civic Engagement”
and commissioned a team to integrate service
learning into course objectives and communitybased programs. Through MWCC’s Center for Civic
Learning and Community Engagement, students
now collectively contribute approximately 144,000
service hours each year.
Long-term Commitment
Asquino has been president of MWCC since 1987,
making him the longest-serving public higher
education president in Massachusetts.
Nomination Excerpt
“President Asquino has remained committed to
nurturing an inclusive environment that strives to
ensure the college experience is one that challenges,
empowers, supports, and prepares students to live in
and value our increasingly global and diverse world.
A visionary leader [who takes] an ‘anything is
possible’ approach to education, Asquino has
implemented numerous large-scale programs on
campus and in the community, yet is known to also
seek tailored solutions for hardworking, determined
individuals, including new immigrants seeking an
education and opportunity. Because these students
are ineligible for financial aid, he has worked with
private donors to raise scholarship money for them.
Asquino [is] driven by the belief that education is
society’s great equalizer and recognizes the vital
correlation between building healthy communities by
preparing an educated workforce.”
Leo M. Lambert, PhD
President, Elon
University
Supported Programs
Community Impact Fellowship,
a service initiative to bring
early childhood education
to low-income and minority
children in the county;
the Center for Access and
Success, which houses
programs that create pathways from early education
through college; the “It Takes a Village” Project,
which works to support young children in the
region — 90 percent of whom are from racial or
ethnic minorities — who find reading daunting;
Administrative Fellows, a program that pairs faculty
members with senior administrators
Fostering Community Service
Lambert helped establish the Staff Service
Sabbatical for staff working on service projects and
provides paid time off for all employees to volunteer.
He also supports the Council on Civic Engagement,
an effort to support faculty and staff who conduct
scholarship in the areas of civic engagement and
community-based research. In addition, Lambert
was the vision and funding behind Elon University’s
Periclean Scholars program, through which student
teams work in partnership with communities to
provide sustainable, positive change.
Aiding Low-Income Families
In 2007, after hearing of the underachievement and
potential closure of a nearby high school, Lambert
established the Elon Academy for promising local
high school students whose families demonstrate
significant financial need, many of whom are firstgeneration, Hispanic and African American students.
Currently, at least 85 percent of Elon Academy
scholars are on track to graduate, including 100
percent of African American male participants.
Awards and Recognitions
Inaugural recipient of the William M. Burke
Presidential Award for Excellence in Experiential
Education from the National Society for
Experiential Education; Periclean Service Award
from Project Pericles
Providing a Religious Sanctuary
With Lambert as president, Elon — where 10 percent
of the students are Jewish — was named a “Small
and Mighty” Hillel campus.
Nomination Excerpt
“Lambert has a national reputation for a commitment
to community service and civic engagement. …
His interest in diversity and inclusion is born out
of a genuine desire to celebrate the richness of all
humanity and the belief that the university experience
should reflect the larger world.”
insightintodiversity.com
59
[ Giving Back Awards ]
David L. Boren, JD
President, University
of Oklahoma
Thomas L. Keon, PhD
Chancellor, Purdue
University Calumet
Civic Involvement
Founder of the Oklahoma
Foundation for Excellence,
which recognizes
outstanding public school
students and teachers and
helps establish private
foundations to give grants to
local public schools
Civic Involvement
Board member for the Urban
League of Northwest Indiana,
an organization aimed at
promoting, encouraging,
and enhancing services
to improve the social,
educational, and economic
conditions for minority
groups in the local community
Campus Community Service
Ten years ago, Boren and his wife started an Arbor
Day community service project at the University of
Oklahoma (OU). In spring 2015, 150 students and
faculty and staff members partnered with university
landscaping staff to plant 74 trees across campus. It
is estimated that the campus community has planted
nearly 1,300 trees since 2007.
Diversity and Inclusion Actions
Mandated that all incoming students participate in
the Diversity and Inclusivity Experience, a five-hour
curriculum-based training, and that faculty and staff
participate in online diversity training; established
the Office of University Community, charged with
increasing faculty, staff, and student diversity and
inclusion; mandated that each dean appoint a
director of diversity and inclusion within their college;
created an LGBTQ Lounge on campus to provide
more inclusive spaces for students
Recognition of Native Americans
During his tenure, Boren has emphasized the
importance of the Native American community by
elevating OU’s Native American Studies Program to
a department, creating a Native Nations Center, and
appointing a tribal liaison officer.
Nomination Excerpt
“David Boren’s academic career as a university
president has been marked by putting students first
[and] listening to and addressing their concerns.
While [he] recognizes the ongoing work to create
a more diverse and inclusive environment, he has
structurally put in place significant programs that will
improve diversity and inclusivity on OU’s campus for
years to come.”
Support for Programming
Step Up! Bystander Intervention, a program that
seeks to empower and mobilize participants by
training them to recognize, intervene, prevent, and
stop inappropriate comments, actions, and behaviors
to create an environment in which all are respected
The Importance of Diversity
As part of his plan to foster a diverse and
inclusive campus, Keon requires that all university
employees, including student workers, complete
diversity and inclusion training within three months
of their start date. This training explains the
importance of diversity and inclusion in employees’
daily work and personal lives.
Awards and Recognitions
Awarded the Workforce Diversity Award in
recognition of exemplary performance in diversity
and inclusion at Purdue University Calumet; a testing
lab named the Thomas L. Keon Testing Center to
honor his leadership accomplishments as dean of the
College of Business Administration at the University
of Central Florida
Nomination Excerpt
“Chancellor Keon was a first-generation college
student, and through the challenges he experienced,
he has made it one of his goals [to keep] the cost of
a college education reasonable. Purdue University
Calumet is now ranked second [as one of the]
cheapest colleges in Indiana for in-state tuition.
Chancellor Keon’s ability to put himself in the shoes
of another and tactfully guide them on the path to
success is a trait that not only makes him a socially
responsible leader, but also an impactful leader.”
“The energy and positive feelings we have witnessed firsthand on this campus — from the
day Harvey [Kesselman] took over — are distinct and palpable. [His] enthusiasm, energy,
and dedication to the university are contagious. … Harvey's reputation as an educational
leader, both at the state and national levels, continues to intensify Stockton’s prominence
as a vibrant and prosperous institution of higher learning.”
Madeleine Deininger
Chair of Stockton University’s Board of Trustees
60
April 2016
Congratulations,
Penn State President
ERIC BARRON
We salute you as a recipient of the Giving Back Award
from INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine. You are a
champion of giving back to others through your
tireless efforts to promote diversity and equity throughout
the campuses and communities of Penn State. We are
proud that your work has been recognized with such
an honor.
[ Giving Back Awards ]
Jere W. Morehead, JD
President, University of
Georgia
A Focus on
Community Service
Through the Public Service
and Outreach Day of
Service, made possible by
Morehead, more than 10,000
University of Georgia (UGA)
employees give back to the
entire state of Georgia.
Encouraging African American Youth
Under Morehead’s leadership, UGA partnered
with 100 Black Men of Atlanta Inc., a nonprofit
organization that focuses on providing support and
improving the quality of life in the Atlanta community
for African American youth. Through UGA, youth
will gain exposure to postsecondary education and
access to academic and research initiatives and
mentor relationships.
An Inclusive Environment
In an effort to make the UGA campus a more
inclusive place, Morehead has taken action to
respond quickly to negative incidents. After two
situations in which racially charged, derogatory
comments were made on social media last year, he
personally reached out to the underrepresented
group to whom these remarks were directed,
apologizing for the incidents and reaffirming that
those types of words and actions are not welcome
or tolerated at UGA.
Investing in Students’ Future
Morehead recently donated $100,000 to the
Experiential Learning initiative, a program through
which students engage in undergraduate research,
study abroad, service learning, and an internship
prior to graduation. He also makes annual
contributions to the Morehead Honors Support
Fund, the Jere W. Morehead Moot Court Fund in the
UGA School of Law, and the need-based Wade and
Virginia Morehead Scholarship.
Diversity and Inclusion Action
In 2015, Morehead announced the allotment of a
$250,000 endowment for faculty and staff diversity
training and funding for a campus climate study.
Nomination Excerpt
“Morehead makes it clear that students are his top
priority. He takes this a step further by ensuring
that all students have access to an affordable and
inclusive education. On his first day as president, his
schedule was full of meetings with various student
groups. Although he was somewhat familiar with the
largest student groups ... he knew that there were
still opinions and viewpoints with which he was not
as familiar. … Morehead listens to the needs of his
students and does his best to address [them].”
62
April 2016
Rev. Dennis H.
Holtschneider, CM, EdD
President, DePaul
University
Dedicated to Ending
Homelessness
Father Holtschneider recently
helped establish the Institute
of Global Homelessness,
in partnership with DePaul
International — a Londonbased organization devoted to ending homelessness
around the world.— to create the world’s foremost
research center on homelessness policy.
An Educational Mentor
Under Father Holtschneider’s leadership, DePaul
University partnered with DePaul College Prep
(formerly Gordon Technical High School) several
years ago to help increase enrollment at the
Catholic high school and guide it to becoming a
competitive, top-tier school. Collaborations between
the university and the high school include dualenrollment opportunities, as well as new professional
development programs for high school faculty
and staff. In addition, with DePaul’s help, the high
school enacted a strategic plan and, as a result, has
experienced increased enrollment.
Signature Initiative
The President’s Signature Series, diversity
programming that highlights prominent national
heritage month celebrations and cultural events in
the university’s centers, institutes, and academic
departments
Diversifying Leadership
Beyond promoting diversity among students, faculty,
and staff, Father Holtschneider has been effective
in diversifying DePaul’s Board of Trustees, which
is responsible for setting the university’s overall
strategy and direction. Of the 41 trustees, 11 are
female, 17 are African American, 7 percent are Latino,
and 2 percent are Asian.
Campus Community Service
Under Father Holtschneider’s leadership, DePaul
has twice received the Community Engagement
Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for
the Advancement of Teaching, which recognizes
institutions that demonstrate engagement with
local, regional, national, and global communities.
To receive this designation, the DePaul campus
community documented more than 500,000 hours
of community service in a single year.
Nomination Excerpt
“Father Holtschneider advocates a broad view of
community service. It is not simply what we do as
individuals to serve our communities, but also what
DePaul as an institution should do to benefit its
hometown of Chicago.”
Left: Vanderbilt University Provost Susan Wente and Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos with students before the start of the annual
Nashville MLK Day Freedom March; Right: Chancellor of Purdue University Calumet Thomas L. Keon serves coffee at Round the
Clock restaurant in Schererville, Ind., during a food bank event called “Hope for the Holidays.” Jay A. Perman, MD
President, University of Maryland, Baltimore
Civic Involvement
Member of the board of directors for Baltimore’s Promise, a citywide collaborative
dedicated to improving cradle-to-career outcomes for Baltimore city youth
A Climate of Inclusion
Perman is conducting a university-wide climate survey to better understand how students
and employees feel about the state of diversity and inclusion at the University of Maryland,
Baltimore (UMB) and to determine areas for improvement. He also launched a diversity and
inclusion speaker series to add expert and passionate voices to the critical conversation on
race and representation in higher education.
A Focus on Affordability
Perman has lobbied the Maryland General Assembly to provide additional state support for graduate students;
he increased the number of graduate and professional students receiving need-based scholarships at UMB from
1,272 to 1,882 and the total amount of money disbursed for need-based aid from $5.5 million to $7.6 million.
Established Initiative
The Center for Community-Based Engagement and Learning, which coordinates, guides, and enhances
opportunities for community-based student engagement, scholarship, service, and learning to improve the health
and welfare of the West Baltimore community
Ensuring Equity for Faculty
Perman launched a comprehensive equity analysis of the university’s personnel actions relating to recruitment,
promotion, and tenure in regard to race, ethnicity, and gender; findings will be used to address any deficiencies.
He also initiated an evaluation of the university’s job classification system to prevent employees’ stagnation,
particularly in lower-paying jobs, in order to create more opportunities for career advancement.
Nomination Excerpt
“President Perman is committed to using the university’s assets and expertise to improve community
health, strengthen schools, create jobs, drive neighborhood development, and advance social justice. [He]
understands that UMB is strong not despite its diversity, but because of it. He understands that UMB has a
profound obligation to apply its influence, assets, and expertise in service [to make] the city he loves every
bit as strong as his own institution.”
insightintodiversity.com
63
[ Giving Back Awards ]
Nicholas S. Zeppos, JD
Chancellor, Vanderbilt
University
Linda P.B. Katehi, PhD
Chancellor, University of
California, Davis
Civic Involvement
Board member of Conexión
Américas, a nonprofit
collaborative that assists
families and individuals
with achieving goals such
as buying a home, starting
a business, improving their
English, and more
Civic Involvement
Member of the Global
Advisory Committee of
the Women and the Green
Economy campaign; regional
representative of the Hispanic
Association of Colleges and
Universities; member of the
Board of the California STEM Learning Network;
presidential sponsor of the American Council
on Educations’ Women’s Network of Northern
California; adviser for Drexel University’s ELATE
program, a leadership development program for
senior women faculty in STEM
Established Initiatives
Opportunity Vanderbilt, a need-blind admissions
process and financial aid program for undergraduate
students who are U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens that meets 100 percent of a student's
financial need; VUcept, a semester-long orientation
in which first-year students meet to form strong
connections across different schools, perspectives,
and geographical backgrounds
Fostering Diversity and Inclusion
This past year, Zeppos created the Chancellor's
Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, and Community.
He also appointed a diversity discussion group, which
he meets with monthly to discuss ideas to support
employee diversity. In addition, he has hosted
diversity dinners and lunches for underrepresented
faculty members.
Recognizing Faculty Contributions
Zeppos recently created the Joseph A. Johnson
Jr. Distinguished Leadership Professor Award to
recognize faculty members whose contributions to
the university have enhanced equity, diversity, and
inclusion.
Nomination Excerpt
“Nicholas Zeppos’ parents were first-generation
Greek Americans who sponsored other Greek
families' citizenship. His commitment to diversity and
empowering others comes to him by the example
of his ancestors and their deep appreciation of our
country. He has demonstrated dedication to equity,
diversity, and inclusion for decades at Vanderbilt
University. This is not new to him or to our community.
Through his leadership, Vanderbilt has become
infinitely more diverse. Although he realizes the vast
amount of work that stands before us as educators
and as a nation to ensure that all people feel that they
have a voice, he is undeterred in his efforts.”
Vision for the Future
Katehi’s “University of the 21st Century” campaign
seeks to engage the University of California (UC),
Davis community to brainstorm ways to improve the
quality of life on campus.
Building Spaces for Conversation
Commissioned the Student Community Center,
which houses the LGBTQIA Resource Center, CrossCultural Center, Student Recruitment and Retention
Center, and more
Supporting Low-Income Students
Under Katehi’s leadership, The New York Times
ranked UC Davis No. 2 among universities providing
the most support to low-income students.
Nomination Excerpt
“Since coming to UC Davis in 2009, Katehi has led
extensive efforts to recruit high-quality, diverse
students. UC Davis is now a majority-minority
institution, and 71 percent of its undergraduates
are African American, Hispanic, American Indian,
Alaska Native, or Asian Pacific Islander. The
incoming class in fall 2015 was the most diverse in
the institution’s history. … A critical key to Katehi's
socially responsible leadership is her ability to
empathize with those who face potentially serious
obstacles to their achievement of basic needs and
health, academic and professional success, and
happiness. She is also keenly aware that a crucial
component of a productive, successful community
and vital society is its members’ respect for each
other’s differences and also the ability to recognize
commonalities in our experiences.”
“We need voices from all walks of American life to be raised, urging us to stand
together on higher ground, to avoid regressing back to an era of more segregated
and more unequal education.”
Lee C. Bollinger, president of Columbia University (in The New Yorker)
64
April 2016
Connecting Diverse Professionals to Diverse Careers®
TheDepartmentofInternalMedicineisseekingaGeneralInternalMedicinePhysicianforafull-time
academicpositionattheRobertC.ByrdHealthSciencesCenter,WestVirginiaUniversity-Charleston
Division.Thepositionwillprovideacademicsupporttoadually-accreditedresidencyprogram
sponsoredbyCharlestonAreaMedicalCenter(CAMC).
Benefits include:
•MDorDOdegree,orforeignequivalentdegree
fromanaccreditedprogram
•BoardcertifiedbytheAmericanBoardof InternalMedicine
•Possessaptitudeandpassionforeducating residentsandmedicalstudents
•Willingnesstoparticipateinappropriate academic,clinicalresearchorotherscholarly
activityasmayberequiredofclinicalfaculty
•ExcellentbenefitspackagewithgenerousPTO
•Salarycommensuratewithqualifications
andexperience
•Vibrantcommunity
•Superbfamilyenvironment
•Unsurpassedrecreationalactivities
•Outstandingschoolsystems
Thesearchwillremainopenuntilasuitable
candidateisidentified.Thispositionisnot
qualifiedforaJ-1visa.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Job requirements are:
Toapply,[email protected].
WVU is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer – Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran
30878-B16
Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Basic and Translational Sciences
The Department of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania seeks
candidates for an Assistant Professor position in the tenure track.
The successful applicant will have experience in the field of genetics and biology of head and neck cancers with a focus on the role of microbiome in
cancer etiology and/or cancer genomics, inflammation, and the development of novel therapeutic approaches to head and neck cancers. Particular
areas of interest include tumor immunology or virology, genetics, bioinformatics, and/or translational therapeutics. Responsibilities include building an
independent research program in basic and/or translational studies in head and neck cancer, training of graduate students and post-doctoral investigators,
as well as to develop interactions with investigators within the greater cancer research environment at the Abramson Cancer Center and the Perelman
School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. In particular, the candidate should demonstrate the vision and potential or ability to interact with
clinicians to foster translational research programs. We are looking for candidates with a keen interest in building interdisciplinary programs through
interactions across the many basic and clinical departments within the Perelman School of Medicine as well as other Health related schools at the
University of Pennsylvania. Key selection criteria will be research excellence and originality of science. Applicants must have an M.D. or Ph.D. or M.D./
Ph.D. degree and have demonstrated excellent qualifications in research.
The Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery is among the leading departments of its kind in the nation, and is home to basic and
translational scientists who conduct world-class research in such areas as cancer, virology, microbiome, smell and taste, otology, audition, and cognition.
The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania provides for an intellectually vibrant and collaborative interdisciplinary environment
with a wealth of cutting edge research resources. The ideal candidate should be an advanced postdoctoral trainee or early career investigator with an
exceptional record of research achievement demonstrating a trajectory for success in academic medicine. Review of applicants will begin as they are
submitted in March 2016 and will continue until the position is filled.
We seek candidates who embrace and reflect diversity in the broadest sense. The University of Pennsylvania is an EOE. Minorities/Women/Individuals
with disabilities/Protected Veterans are encouraged to apply.
Apply for this position online at: https://www.med.upenn.edu/apps/faculty_ad/index.php/g329/d4221
UPEN-205_Diversity.indd 1
insightintodiversity.com
3/4/16 3:52 PM
65
Connecting Diverse Professionals to Diverse Careers®
Administrators and Staff:
• Assistant Dean of High School Partnerships
• Assistant Dean for Planning, Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness
• Assistant Director of Admissions/Program Specialist
• Dean for Planning, Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness (search reopened,
previous applicants need not reapply)
• Director of Budget, Academic Affairs/Division Coordinator
• Program Specialist, Professional Development Center (part-time, hourly)
The Department of Pathology is seeking an AP/CP or CP trained
(Board certified or board eligible) Pathologist to join the Division
of Clinical Pathology as a Medical Director of the University of
Utah Hospital Laboratories. The successful candidate will share
responsibility with two other Medical Directors for supporting
inpatient laboratory operations at the University Hospital and
the Huntsman Cancer Institute, as well as outpatient laboratory
operations. The scope of laboratory testing at these facilities
includes routine chemistry and toxicology, hematology, urinalysis
and coagulation assays as well as point of care testing. The
successful candidate will be expected to support Laboratory
and Hospital quality improvement, compliance and accreditation
initiatives, and to provide consultation to clinicians. Participation
in teaching of medical students, pathology residents and clinical
chemistry fellows is also expected. Research in the area of applied
laboratory medicine is encouraged. Academic rank and salary will
be commensurate with experience.
Full-time faculty positions: Chemistry, Counselors (two positions), Librarian,
Mathematics (two positions), and Respiratory Therapy. Instructor-level positions
start in the Fall 2016. Requires Masters plus one-year related experience, unless
otherwise indicated on website.
Applicants should submit electronically to http://utah.peopleadmin.
com/postings/49407, a curriculum vitae, a brief cover letter and the
names and addresses of three references.
Adjunct Faculty: Summer and Fall 2016 openings. Specify day/evening/weekend
availability.
Please contact [email protected] with any questions.
WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ADMINISTRATOR, STAFF & FACULTY POSITIONS
Westchester Community College has entered a new era of student service and
success, and is committed to hiring innovative administrators, faculty members,
and staff. Women, minorities and those dedicated to diversity and multiculturalism
are strongly encouraged to apply. Full-time positions include excellent benefits.
Hiring subject to availability of funds.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Credit Adjuncts: (Masters and one-year related experience required unless otherwise
indicated on website): Accounting, American Sign Language, Biology, Chemistry,
Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Earth Science, Engineering (Civil, Electrical,
Mechanical), English, French, Italian, Japanese, Marketing Research and Metrics,
Mathematics, Nursing, Nutrition, Performing Arts – Music (Percussion), Physics, Spanish,
Speech Communication, and Understanding Mass Media.
Non-Credit adjuncts (Bachelors required): Classes for lifelong learners may
include children, adults, and seniors in various locations with day, evening, and
weekend options. Also interested in candidates with ESL teaching experience (MA
or certificate in TESOL preferred) or with corporate training background, and ideas
for new classes. Visit website for information. Submit proposals for new classes at www.
sunywcc.edu/CE; do not submit a resume without a class proposal. For ESL only,
submit resume to [email protected].
For details, visit sunywcc.edu/jobs. Applications accepted until positions are filled.
Resumes to Human Resources, Westchester Community College, 75 Grasslands
Road, Valhalla, NY 10595; fax 914-606-7838; email Word documents to
[email protected]. Please indicate position of interest on envelope
or in email “subject” field. AA/EOE.
The University of Utah Health Sciences Center is a patient focused
center distinguished by collaboration, excellence, leadership, and
respect. The University of Utah Health Sciences Center values
candidates who are committed to fostering and furthering the culture
of compassion, collaboration, innovation, accountability, diversity,
integrity, quality, and trust that is integral to the mission of the
University of Utah Health Sciences Center.
The University of Utah is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity
employer and does not discriminate based upon race, national
origin, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender
identity/expression, status as a person with a disability, genetic
information, or Protected Veteran status. Individuals from historically
underrepresented groups, such as minorities, women, qualified
persons with disabilities and protected veterans are encouraged
to apply. Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants,
upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state
law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application
process will be provided to individuals with disabilities. To inquire
about the University’s nondiscrimination or affirmative action policies
or to request disability accommodation, please contact: Director,
Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, 201 S. Presidents
Circle, Rm 135, (801) 581-8365.
The University of Utah values candidates who have experience
working in settings with students from diverse backgrounds, and
possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher
education for historically underrepresented students.
Our Next Issue: Medical, Dental,
and Veterinary Schools
Our May issue will focus on diversity
initiatives and programs at medical, dental,
and veterinary schools across the U.S.
This special report presents a unique
opportunity to showcase your university's
healthcare programs to the more than 250,000
readers of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
The advertising deadline is April 8.
For advertising information, email
[email protected].
66
April 2016
UCF is a leader in the research of ultrafast
lasers and condensed matter physics. We
are focused on helping our students succeed
through dedication and teamwork.
— MADHAB NEUPANE
The best
new minds to
INNOVATE
University of Central Florida Assistant Professor Madhab Neupane is
pioneering research in quantum electronic matter which has the potential
to make our computers faster and our smartphones smarter. Previously
at Princeton University and Los Alamos National Laboratory, Neupane is
developing new topological insulators that allow electrons to flow faster
through the circuitry of computers, speeding up information processing
to revolutionize our electronics and energy industries.
UCF is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
We’re seeking 100 of the best
new minds in research and
teaching to foster diversity
and innovation in our 13
colleges. Visit ucf.edu/faculty.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
are a vital part of
SUPPORT AND TRADITION
The Texas Tech Alumni Association strives daily to
promote and advance diversity on the Texas Tech campus. Our
efforts include the Raider Life and Mentor Tech programs as
well as the Hispanic and Black Convocations. This is just a small
part of what we do but a big part of who we are as Red Raiders.
TEXASTECHALUMNI.ORG