Chief Diversity Officer

Proposed Date of Hire: 07/01/2022

Type of Position: Full Time Position

Number of Months per Year: 12

Minimum Qualifications: Master’s degree and at least five years leadership and management experience in the area of diversity and inclusion.

Additional Areas of Interest (No Minimum Level Required):

• Doctoral degree from an accredited institution.
• Demonstrated in-depth understanding of local, national, and global diversity and inclusion in a public higher education setting combined with a significant commitment to the principles and promotion of diversity, equity, inclusion and cultural competence.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, strong interpersonal skills, the proven ability to work with sensitive and confidential information and the ability to facilitate cultural change when necessary.
• Demonstrated experience in supporting academic and student service programs for underrepresented students.
• Ability to build working relationships with faculty and academic leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to build working relationships, lead, coordinate and inspire individuals with different perspectives in a complex educational environment and to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, administrators, alumni and community partners.
• Ability to work independently, problem-solve and manage multiple priorities.
• Familiarity with the Standards of Professional Practice for Chief Diversity Officers as outlined by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Appalachian State University invites nominations and applications for the position of Chief Diversity Officer (CDO). The CDO provides leadership to the university’s efforts to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment, promotes equity in educational opportunity, programming and employment and promotes an environment of diversity, respect and inclusion for all members of the university community.

• Position the university as a national leader with the development and establishment of a diverse and inclusive institutional program.
• Plans, guides and advises the Chancellor, Leadership Team and other senior leaders on diversity, equity, and inclusion matters. Collaborates with faculty, staff, students and alumni to create, implement, and monitor programs designed to promote equity, cultural competence and inclusion.
• Convene and chair the Chief Diversity Officer’s Advisory Board.
• Leads standing and ad hoc committees and work groups on equity, diversity and inclusion related topics involving student, faculty, staff, and administrator populations.
• Serve as a primary source for faculty, staff and students to report individual or university-wide diversity and inclusion concerns, harassing and/or discriminatory behavior.
• Coordinate the implementation of the university’s strategic plan for diversity and inclusion in partnership with all divisions to ensure that diversity and inclusion initiatives are aligned with the overall strategic plan of the university.
• Oversee ongoing efforts on diversity and inclusion initiatives, including developing and establishing university goals and objectives.
• Collaboratively develop and implement strategies to monitor and evaluate institution-wide progress toward creating a diverse and inclusive work and learning environment.
• Create and implement communication strategies to support diversity and inclusion initiatives.
• Collaborates with the VP for Faculty Policies and Development, Academic Affairs leadership and faculty to assess instructional programs and courses for cultural relevance and to partner in providing professional development in culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy.
• Works with Institutional Research to develop and analyze climate surveys for students, faculty and staff that assess campus climate as it relates to diversity, equity, and inclusion and makes recommendations based on analysis of the data.
• The CDO collaborates with Human Resources and other university departments to develop strategic hiring and retention efforts to attract and retain a highly talented, diverse and inclusive workforce.
• Provide leadership and guidance to principal units that provide educational services to students and undergraduate and graduate student recruitment and retention.
• Establish and maintain collaborative partnerships with various communities and represent their interests and views within the university.
• Responds directly to the Chancellor to manage special projects as assigned.
• Coordinates a wide variety of diversity programming at the university and community level addressing all dimensions of diversity and inclusion. Plans and hosts university and public events on the subject of diversity and inclusion.
• Leads and facilitates the university’s response to campus, national and global events related to diversity and inclusion.
• Develop and administer a recognition program to acknowledge the successes of individuals-students, faculty, and staff— across the university and in the surrounding community who have made major contributions to the diversity and inclusion effort at App State.
• Develop in collaboration with the VP for Faculty Policies and Development, Deans and faculty a supportive program of faculty/staff/student development regarding the management of issues of diversity and inclusion in the classroom, and climate in the university as a whole
• Develop appropriate communications to update the university community on broad diversity, inclusion and equity issues, programs, accomplishments, and recurring problems.
• Provide an annual report to the Chancellor and Leadership Team on the status of achievement of the institution’s diversity goals as set forth in the strategic diversity plan.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

The position is Open until Filled, but application reviews will begin in late January, so apply by the Evaluation of Applications Begins date for the earliest consideration.

Please visit https://cdosearch.appstate.edu/ to apply and attach the required documents:

1. Cover Letter
2. Resume
3. List of References with Contact Information
4. Diversity Statement to include: 1) provide examples of your past contributions to diversity, 2) demonstrate an understanding of the particular diversity and equity-related issues and needs in your field, or higher education more generally, and/or 3) discuss your vision for how you might make contributions to diversity and inclusion in the future.

Initial Review Date: 01/26/2022

Descriptions of the Department or Unit: Chancellor's Office

Search Committee Chair Name: Hank Foreman

Seated Disability Statement:

Individuals with disabilities may request accommodations in the application process by contacting Maranda Maxey, Director & ADA/504 Coordinator, at 828-262-3056 or maxeymr@appstate.edu.

Seated Description of the University:

Appalachian State University, in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina system, Appalachian enrolls about 20,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

Seated Background Check Statement:

Any offer of employment to a successful candidate will be conditioned upon the University’s receipt of a satisfactory criminal background report.

Seated Eligibility of Employment:

Proper documentation of identity and eligibility for employment will be required before the hiring process can be completed.

Seated AA/EEO Statement:

Appalachian State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. The University does not discriminate in access to its educational programs and activities, or with respect to hiring or the terms and conditions of employment, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity and expression, political affiliation, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information or sexual orientation.

Seated Diversity Statement:

We at Appalachian State University are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence both locally and globally.

We understand that the successful implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence is the responsibility of the entire university community, including alumni and official university governing bodies. A diverse campus community supports an influx of broad and distinct ideas that increase learning opportunities and strengthen the impact of our community as we work collectively to achieve a just experience for all.

We actively encourage, support, and promote a global mindset and an equitable environment where all will know that they belong and are safe to express their culture, identity, values, ideas, opinions, and creativity. We are committed to creating a culture of equity opportunity for all, one that has an expectation of fairness, justice, and equity-minded practice at all levels of the university community.