Chief Diversity Officer’s Advisory Board
The Chief Diversity Officer’s Advisory Board was formed to ensure App State is a welcoming community of scholars who value, respect and embrace diversity throughout the institution.
This board is a working group responsible for assisting the Chief Diversity Officer in designing and implementing strategies that foster the advancement of diversity and inclusion at App State by:
- Supporting strategic planning efforts as related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Monitoring progress of strategic goals for diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Providing opportunities for the campus community to discuss diversity-related issues and ideas.
- Gathering feedback from the campus community to inform diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
- Reviewing initiatives and/or program recommendations from other campus members that are designed to advance diversity goals and making suggestions for efficient achievement of those goals.
- Providing an annual report with recommendations and progress of strategic goals for diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Collaborating with diversity, equity and inclusion leaders across campus.
2021-22 Board members
- Dr. Barbara Howard
Professor of School Administration, Department of Leadership and Educational Studies, Curriculum Specialist Program - Cindy Barr
Associate Vice Chancellor, Enrollment Management - Dr. Claudia Cartaya-Marin
Professor and Department Chair, Department of Chemistry - Gabby Dickey
Assistant Director, Fitness - Dr. Greg McClure
Associate Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction - Heather Langdon
Executive Director, Institutional Research, Assessment and Planning - Dr. James Douthit
Dean, Hayes School of Music - Jerisha Farrer
Assistant Director, Intercultural Student Affairs - Dr. Kim Hall
Professor of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy and Religion - Lamont Sellers
Director of Intercultural Student Affairs - Dr. Nancy Love
Professor of Political Science, Department of Government and Justice Studies - Dr. Precious Mudiwa
Professor of School Administration, Department of Leadership and Educational Studies - Shakinah Simeona-Lee
Sr. Associate Director for Diversity Initiatives, Admissions - Dr. Sushmita Chatterjee
Associate Professor of Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies - Dr. Tammy Wahpeconiah
Professor, Department of English - Dr. Ted Zerucha
Professor and Director of General Education, Development and Evolution, Department of Biology - Terri Lockwood
Director of Marketing Communications and Inclusion, University College
Proposals from the Chief Diversity Officer’s Advisory Board
At the charge of Chancellor Sheri Everts, this group presented to the Chancellor in 2015, 14 proposals, listed below, focused on the recruitment and retention of students, staff and faculty from underrepresented groups. Those proposals have been consciously explored with many ongoing, in progress and more under review.
Learn more about Appalachian’s milestones regarding diversity and inclusion.
- Engage a consultant to provide education to all supervisors on the topic of creating an inclusive campus.
Status: ongoing - Implement a bias incident response process.
Staus: under review - Create an online search committee compliance module.
Status: ongoing - Related to the item above, another proposal recommended that search committees be provided face-to-face education about the ways implicit bias can affect search processes.
Status: ongoing - Expand the exit interview process.
Status: ongoing - Create a formal mentoring program for students from underrepresented groups.
Status: under review - Increase awareness of university policies and student conduct processes related to individual and group harassment and discrimination.
Status: in progress - Assess the feasibility of a complete implementation of the holistic review process in admissions. This proposal would expand the breadth of the holistic review process that admissions currently engages in when reviewing applications for incoming students.
Status: ongoing - Translate admissions materials into Spanish and provide informational sessions and campus tours in Spanish catering to families for which Spanish is the primary language in the home. Survey prospective students to assess whether there is a need to provide such services in additional languages.
Status: ongoing - Formalize relationships with secondary schools and community-based organizations in areas with a greater density of underrepresented populations.
Status: ongoing - Implement a strategy that provides access to hair services for students of color.
Status: in progress - Conduct a campus climate survey every three years and annual focus groups to assess the inclusive nature of the campus.
Status: in progress - Identify and reward initiatives pertaining to outstanding work in the field of diversity by individual students, faculty and staff, student groups and departments/units on campus.
Status: ongoing - Revamp and restore the faculty fellows program in order to better recruit faculty members with a demonstrated commitment to diversity in their respective areas of study.
Status: under review
