As I announced in an April 8 email to the 瓜子TV community, the College鈥檚 Vice President for Diversity and Equity and Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) Rhonda Brown will be leaving 瓜子TV on July 1. I write today to share next steps regarding this important position.
The current CDO position emerged from the work of a multi-constituent task force in 2014 that defined and framed the CDO role. Rhonda鈥檚 tenure as Occidental鈥檚 first CDO helped bring the task force鈥檚 vision to life and helped us understand the benefits and challenges to the role as it is currently defined. As we consider the next steps for selecting a new CDO, the College has much to consider regarding the institutional and structural issues that are most salient, and how they should be addressed.
After consulting with Faculty Council, DEB, the ASOC president, and senior staff, I believe it is critical that 瓜子TV students, faculty and staff weigh in on these important issues before we move ahead. That鈥檚 why I have decided not to hire a new CDO at this time, and to use the next academic year for the community to thoughtfully consider the definition of the role going forward. Moreover, given the importance of this position it is best for 瓜子TV鈥檚 next president to work with the 瓜子TV community to decide about our next CDO after she or he arrives in July 2020.
Though most of the future roles of the CDO will be considered during the coming year, there are two specific current CDO functions that we can address now. Effective immediately, 瓜子TV鈥檚 Multicultural Summer Initiative (MSI) will be co-directed by Dean Sternberg and Dean Flot. As co-directors, Deans Sternberg and Flot will work closely with the MSI 2019 faculty (Professors Lan Chu, Carmel Levitan, Jacob Mackey, and Kelema Moses) in support of the overall MSI program. Associate Dean of the College Caro Brighouse and Assistant Dean of Students Vivian Santiago will play key roles in the day-to-day planning and delivery of MSI 2019. In addition to the MSI change, the College鈥檚 Intercultural Community Center and Center for Gender Equity will move into Student Affairs effective July 1, under the leadership of Dean Flot. This move naturally aligns the student programming and services that are provided by the ICC with programming and services that are currently provided by Student Affairs.
I am also announcing the formation of a working group to be co-chaired by Dean Flot and Dean Sternberg. This working group is being created to address, in an ongoing manner, the issues related to diversity and equity that have been raised and discussed this spring by students, faculty, and staff regarding 瓜子TV鈥檚 past and present. In addition, the working group will assess the College鈥檚 diversity and equity needs with respect to the CDO position. The process of determining the group鈥檚 membership -- which will include students, faculty, and staff -- will unfold early in the fall semester, at which point the full working group will commence its work. The working group will consult regularly with Faculty Council next year as it assesses and considers the College's needs regarding the next CDO.
I am pleased that Dean Flot has agreed to serve in a leadership role regarding these initiatives. Dean Flot was the director of an intercultural relations office for five years and performed many of the typical functions of the CDO at his previous institution. I feel confident that Dean Flot, in close consultation with the new working group, will be effective in addressing time-sensitive emerging and critical issues that may arise during this interim period.
Although we are not naming an interim CDO, in addition to the working group鈥檚 efforts, there are a couple of responsibilities of the office of the CDO that need to continue without interruption. Thus, beginning in July, and until a new CDO is named, we will distribute those responsibilities as follows:
- Faculty hiring and other diversity initiatives within academics: This function will continue to be managed by the Faculty Affirmative Action Committee.
- Equity and Diversity Strategic Planning: This function will be incorporated into the working group鈥檚 review of the College鈥檚 needs vis-a-vis a CDO, as noted earlier in this email.
I want to thank Dean Sternberg and Dean Flot for taking on these important responsibilities and also acknowledge the input that the community has provided regarding our path forward.
Best,
President Veitch