This fall, C&IS certified 27 faculty and staff members as diversity advocates, through a diversity training program developed by Dr. George Daniels in consultation with C&IS administrators. This training equips them to serve on hiring committees to ensure that the committee is attentive to the College’s desire to attract an applicant pool consistent with its educational mission.
“This is a great first class of diversity advocates,” said Dr. George Daniels, Assistant Dean for Administration. “The idea is to get more and more faculty members exposed to thinking about diversity in intentional ways, as those who actually are advocating for diversity not just thinking about it as a check-box to meet a university requirement.”
C&IS approved its diversity plan in 2008, stating that it “Supports and embraces a student, staff, faculty and administrative community enriched by members of diverse genders, national origins, races, ethnicities, cultures, religions, socioeconomic conditions, geographic backgrounds, sexualities, ages, religious beliefs and spiritualties, abilities and political views.”
The plan called for each faculty search committee to have a member who acts as a diversity advocate.
The C&IS diversity plan aligns strategically with the larger, University-wide diversity initiatives. This past June, The University selected Dr. G. Christine Taylor as its first vice president and associate provost for diversity, equity and inclusion. Taylor attended C&IS’ diversity advocate training and even spoke to our faculty on the importance of their leadership.
In addition to hearing Taylor speak, the trainees also completed a simulation with representatives from The Crossroads Community Center and participated in sessions with University Counsel and a panel of University administrators involved with search committees. Diversity advocates also received a resource binder with important handouts that can be used as a reference.
“Everyone can benefit from some form sort of diversity training,” said Daniels. “For our faculty, this has potential to change the way we conduct faculty searches, obtaining our ultimate goal of a more diverse faculty.”
The full list of Fall 2017 C&IS Diversity Advocates, in alphabetical order:
Mark Barry (A+PR)
Meredith Bagley (Comm Studies)
Jennifer Becker (Comm Studies)
Ann Bourne (SLIS)
Dianne Bragg (JCM)
Sarah Bryant (SLIS)
John Burgess (SLIS)
Heather Carmack (Comm Studies)
Melanie Danner (Dean’s Office)
Jim Elborg (SLIS)
Karla Gower (A+PR)
Darrin Griffin (Comm Studies)
Mark Harris (A+PR)
Nikita Harris (Comm Studies)
Peter Jensen (Comm Studies)
Leah LeFebvre (Comm Studies)
Laura Lemon (A+PR)
Mary Meares (Comm Studies)
Jamie Naidoo (SLIS)
Elliott Panek (JCM)
Scott Parrott (JCM)
Cynthia Peacock (Comm Studies)
Robert Riter (SLIS)
Miriam Sweeney (SLIS)
Jessika White (A+PR)
Matt Wisla (A+PR)
Steven Yates (SLIS)
