Chief Equity Officer

Chief Equity Officer

Wofford College

Wofford College invites applications for a Chief Equity Officer. Reporting directly to the President and serving as a strategic partner on the President’s Cabinet, the Chief Equity Officer will work collaboratively with diverse campus stakeholders to advance the College’s strategic goals. They will provide visionary leadership and counsel on matters of diversity initiatives, strategic planning, training, education and research, policy development, campus climate issues, communications and implementation of high-impact efforts that ensure the values of diversity, equity, inclusion and mutual respect for all students, faculty and staff. The Chief Equity Officer will also ensure institutional compliance with applicable federal and state laws related to unlawful discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct and retaliation.

With overall responsibility for college-wide leadership and direction in diversity, equity and inclusion, the Chief Equity Officer will build on the College’s past efforts, including the recommendations from the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) strategic vision team as a pathway to implementing meaningful change. They will have the opportunity to build a team to develop collaborative relations with offices and divisions of the college to advance the institutional mission and goals related to education, accessibility and outcomes in higher education. They will provide guidance regarding appropriate and related education and training, diversity curricula and community outreach. The Chief Equity Officer must therefore listen with empathy and concern; establish transparent and cooperative relationships; moderate challenging conversations and difficult situations with compassion and understanding; develop a vision that motivates and unifies people across campus around a strategic vision; and rely upon data and research to inform analysis leading to the development of measurable outcomes and systems of accountability. The Chief Equity Officer will also play a critical role in ensuring compliance with all college policies related to discrimination, bias, harassment and equal opportunity in education.

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

1. Strategic leadership and coordination of campus-wide JEDI efforts
2. Oversight of Title VI, Title VII and Title IX processes and staff: responsible for institutional compliance with all applicable laws regarding discrimination, harassment and bias
3. Oversight of Bias Incident Reporting and adjudication
4. Providing faculty, staff and student training and education regarding Title IX, ADA, discrimination and harassment, and anti-bias training, in close coordination with Human Resources
5. Coordinating with partners in Academic Affairs, Campus Life and Student Development and Wofford’s Enrollment team to strengthen recruitment and retention of a diverse student body
6. Working closely with the College Chaplain to promote religious diversity on campus and with the Provost, Dean of Students, Director of Human Resources and other Vice Presidents for the pursuit of a diverse faculty and staff
7. Coordinating with colleagues in Campus Life and Student Development to enhance services and programming for BIPOC students, LGBTQ students and all of Wofford’s Diversity Council Organizations (https://www.wofford.edu/student-experiences/getting-involved/student-organizations)
8. Analyzing diversity and inclusion metrics and monitoring trends and events to recommend solutions when students, faculty or staff may be experiencing discrimination or marginalization
9. Establishing on a recurrent basis an internal audit process and reporting system to allow for effective measurement of College diversity and equity efforts and producing regular reports on at least an annual basis to the College community
10. Serving as a liaison to the community to engage local partners and alumni in diversity and inclusion efforts
11. Partnering with faculty and other key offices on campus to promote intercultural learning and cross-cultural opportunities for active engagement both locally and abroad

QUALIFICATIONS

• Earned PhD or EdD in an academic field of study
• Minimum of five years of experience teaching at the college/university level
• Minimum of five years of experience advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in a complex organization
• Minimum of two years of management or supervisory experience
• Strong and effective oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across multiple units and an appreciation for shared governance
• An open and transparent leadership style and the ability to build trust and consensus
• Strong knowledge of issues impacting and informing access, inclusion, diversity and equity in higher education

APPLICATION PROCESS: Please submit a letter of interest, including a statement detailing your contributions to diversity at your present institution; a current CV, and a list of five references. Please email all application materials or any questions about the position to provost@wofford.edu. For fullest consideration please submit your materials by June 14, 2021. 

WOFFORD COLLEGE

Established in 1854, Wofford College is a four-year, residential liberal arts college located in Spartanburg, SC. With a student body of 1,770 undergraduates and 27 major fields of study, it is recognized nationally for its robust academic program, outstanding faculty, study abroad participation, and successful graduates. Wofford is home to one of the nation’s 283 Phi Beta Kappa chapters; the community also enjoys Greek Life and 19 NCAA Division I athletic teams. Wofford’s priorities increasingly reflect commitments to diversity, inclusivity and coalition building. Created spring of 2015, the President’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee has executed the recommendations of Wofford’s 2014 Strategic Vision Plan: to increase the diversity of students, faculty and staff, to support programming and policy geared toward equity, and to link its investment in diversity to sustainable partnerships with the Spartanburg community. Working alongside Wofford’s Center for Community-Based Learning, the Committee has helped Wofford develop campus JEDI leadership, develop diversity training for faculty and staff, increase geographic, racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and LGBTQIA representation, and increase funding for diversity-related programming.

SPARTANBURG, SC

Spartanburg is located in upstate South Carolina, 30 miles east of Greenville, SC, an hour from Charlotte, NC, and three hours east of Atlanta, GA. Historic Charleston and the South Carolina coast are three hours away, and Wofford sits an hour south of the artistic, culinary hub of Asheville, NC. Spartanburg is a growing, diverse community that supports six college and university campuses along with numerous civic arts and cultural associations. It became the first city in South Carolina to join the Government Alliance on Race and Equity and, in 2012, became one of five cities nationally to participate in the ten-year Wellville program, a national nonprofit initiative dedicated to improving equitable wellbeing in US cities. Spartanburg and Wofford partner on multiple community equity initiatives, including the Northside Project, which has brought together a diverse group of citizens to revitalize a neighborhood in ways that don’t reproduce the harm of earlier urban renewal programs.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Wofford College values diversity within our students, faculty, and staff, and strives to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people. Wofford College does not discriminate in employment on the bases of race, color, creed, religion, sex (including pregnancy or childbirth or related medical conditions including but not limited to lactation) sexual orientation, transgender status, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status in accordance with applicable federal, state and/or local laws.

It is the policy of Wofford College to provide reasonable accommodations. If you require an accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process, please reach out to HumanResources@Wofford.edu.

A background check will be conducted for finalist candidates. Employment is contingent upon completion of a successful background check and establishment of identity and verification of employment eligibility as required by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

COMPLIANCE WITH TITLE IX

In compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Wofford College does not discriminate against any employee, applicant for employment, student, or applicant for admission on the basis of sex. Policies and procedures for addressing complaints of discrimination and harassment can be found at www.wofford.edu/titleix. Reports can be made to the Title IX Coordinator at any time. Inquiries related to the application of Title IX at Wofford should be referred to the college’s Title IX coordinator (contact information below) and external inquires can be made to the Department of Education.

Wofford College Title IX Coordinator             

Amanda Estabrook                                      

429 N Church St.                                           

Campus Life Building, Office 6                           

Spartanburg, SC 29303                                          

(864) 597-4047                                                     

estabrookar@wofford.edu                          

External inquiry can be made to:

Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20202-1100

(800) 421-3481

OCR@ec.gov / http://www.ed.gov/ocr