Diverse Issues in Higher Education
by Diverse Staff
Feb 10, 2009, 04:20
“Someone once told me diversity work wasn’t rocket science. If only it was that easy.”
That’s how Dr. Archie Ervin, associate provost and director of diversity and multicultural affairs at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, opened his presentation Monday at the Leadership Institute, sponsored by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education.
At some institutions the Chief Diversity Officer has a limited staff and works collaboratively with other departments to achieve diversity goals while at others the diversity work is so integrated into the traditional academic structure the CDO has responsibility over several departments, from institutional research to student support, in what is called a ‘portfolio’ model. At some institutions or university systems, the work of the CDO is centralized. In some cases diversity work falls under academic affairs, others student affairs. Some CDOs have responsibility for diversity, but no real authority while some have the chancellor’s ear on diversity issues.
The role of a Chief Diversity Officer can be configured in so many different ways, NADOHE’s Leadership Institute sought to demystify and examine challenges and opportunities of the various configurations, before an audience of diversity officers and higher education administrators seeking to develop such a position.
Whatever the design, the CDOs who presented said it was essential to have the president’s or chancellor’s support and that includes their commitment to hold faculty and administrators accountable for achieving diversity benchmarks.
Full Story: http://diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_12272.shtml
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