by Aaron Butts
Students entering the Student Union after break may notice that the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) is oddly silent. Why? Because Capital no longer has a director of the office.
“We are feverishly looking for a replacement,” Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, Betty Lovelace-Ross, said. “We are excited to find that certain individual.”
The previous occupant of the position, Dr. Shakeer Abdullah who was only here for a few months, left during a selection process for a new associate director position; therefore, the university is combining their associate director position search with their search for a director.
“There is an ongoing search that is co-chaired by Dr. Cathy McDaniels-Wilson, the Director of Health and Wellness, and Dr. Jodie Fournier, Dean of Studies,” Provost Dr. Richard Ashbrook said. “There is also a committee of students and staff.”
“We had done an initial search for an associate director for Diversity and Inclusion, but then we began looking more deeply into the needs of the community and the needs of students,” Lovelace-Ross said. “We are trying to be more future-thinking moving forward.”
The administration is taking a new direction with the creation of the associate director position, switching up the roles of the ODI to be broader.
“The director position will primarily serve the Bexley campus,” Ashbrook said. “The assistant director position will primarily serve the law, graduate, and adult student populations.”
In addition to the vacancy in the director position, Beatriz Diaz, who used to work in the office as well, has left.
“Bea had been here for four to five years,” Lovelace-Ross said. “In student affairs you spend maybe three to five years in a position and then you move on. She had a very close relationship with students and it was one of her striking characteristics that she brought to that experience. She is missed, no question about it, but change happens.”
According to Dr. Lovelace-Ross, even though there isn’t a staff for the ODI, it doesn’t mean that Capital is disregarding it, but quite the opposite. With two new positions open, the administration is taking a more aggressive approach to the issue of diversity.
“We had 10 or 11 top people,” Sonia Suber said.
She also explained that Dr. Jodie Fournier is bringing in the applicants for interviews this week. The expectation is that the university will hire a new director and assistant director for the upcoming semester relatively soon and get the ball rolling on further incorporating the ODI into the university.
“Hopefully sometime at the end of January we will have candidates on campus and hire someone on in February,” Ashbrook said. “Of course, that depends on who we’re hiring.”
“My expectation of the new director is that they will have a broad perspective on diversity and inclusion,” Lovelace-Ross said. “We expect the next person who comes in here will be here for a few years.”
abutts@capital.edu
