About
The Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
The Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging at the University of Kansas is dedicated to the facilitation and support of exceptional research, teaching, service, administration, learning and quality campus life for all. Located in the Office of the Provost, the Office of DEIB is the Chief Diversity Office for the University and works with the Provost to align university strategic initiatives and polices with the educational, programmatic, and administrative needs of the campus community.
The Office of DEIB works in partnership with campus collaborators to help our community achieve equitable and inclusive experiences that reflects the rich diversity of the broader society, while addressing the structural, historical, and systemic barriers that infringe upon expectations for equity in our university community.
Who We Are
As part of the Provost’s office, the KU Office of DEIB works to ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion is considered in all aspects of campus governance, leadership, teaching, campus life and strategic initiatives. The office is comprised of a Vice Provost of DEIB, an Assistant Vice Provost of DEIB (dedicated to 50% DEIB Central Office and 50% to Staff via HR and Operations), a Director of Strategic Initiatives, a Program Coordinator, and an Administrative Associate.
Our university-wide DEIB Framework, Realizing Intersectional Standards of Excellence (RISE), is a core organizational framework for Jayhawks Rising and is used as an education and praxis-based pathway for equity at KU for students, staff, and faculty. Through RISE, our office provides educational and strategic guidance at the provost, college and unit levels while using our resources to facilitate campus programming, education opportunities, and community outreach that produces engaged campus experiences that nurture interdisciplinarity and intersectional learning opportunities that improve campus climate and inspire long standing structural change.
Vision
To realize a University of Kansas where all Jayhawks see diversity as the starting point of excellence in all aspects of administration, research, teaching, service, and support in a nurturing environment that champions equity across identities, status, abilities, and disciplines so that all community members can innovate and thrive at the highest level.
Mission
To advocate, facilitate and support an inclusive environment for all University of Kansas community members including students, faculty, staff, and alumni.Our vision, mission and strategic initiatives facilitate the institution’s goal in achieving an inclusive campus environment that acknowledges the social, cultural, and political factors that impact quality of life and outcomes for our diverse student, staff, and faculty.
What We Do
Our vision and mission are committed to facilitating an intersectional approach for diversity, equity, and inclusion by providing instructional support at the following levels:
Intuitional Level Support
- University-wide DEIB Framework: Realizing Intersectional Standards of Excellence (RISE) foregrounds diversity and human rights as a structural benchmark of excellence in KU’s institutional life. RISE helps lay the foundation for intentional organizational change and community accountability.
- Organize and track campus DEI initiatives: DEIB leaders across campus report to the Office of DEIB in Provost Office to track campus trends in the College, Professional Schools, and campus affiliate spaces (KU Athletics, KU Endowment, Ad Astra, etc.) to identify resource and training needs to support inclusive climates.
- Provide qualitative and quantitative data: We track and manage campus wide diversity in alignment with HLC and AAU membership criteria
- Reporting: Providing and reporting on strategic campus DEI plans
Student, Staff, and Faculty Support
- Campus Goals and Outcomes Mapping: We work with AIRE to identify campus goals for growth in representation of global majority faculty, staff, and students. We present quarterly data to campus working with campus reporting partners that show our growth. We make these goals visible to the public.
- Recruitment and Retention: We provide best practices resources for campus wide efforts and consult on retention pathways for students, faculty and staff in partnership with HR, Faculty Development, Student Affairs and Office of Graduate Development ( check tittles and add all links)
- Annual Campus DEIB Goal Reporting: We provide quantitative and qualitative representation and reporting to campus via co-produced annual reports on Jayhawks Rising achievements as it relates to core foundations and improving DEIB efforts on campus
DEIB Across Campus
DEIB Committees
The mission of the Provost’s DEIB Advisory Council, which brings together students, staff, faculty, and administrators, is to provide feedback and advice to the Vice Provost (and by extension the Chancellor and Provost) regarding new initiatives, structures, policies, and positions coming from the DEIB Office. The council will advise and share ideas with the Vice Provost about how to address challenges.
- Shawn Leigh Alexander, Professor and Chair, African and African American Studies
- Rachel Auten, Director of Student Support and Case Management, Student Affairs
- Daphne N. Carillo, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Student Senate
- Misty Chandler, Director, Academic Success
- Kit Cole, Software Tester/Accessible IT Coordinator, Information Technology
- LaTisha Davis, Director, Child Care Access Means Parents in School and Associate Director of TRIO Supportive Educational Services
- Erin Duran, Assistant Vice Provost in the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
- Ada Emmett, Acting University Ombuds
- Mugur Geana, Assoc. Professor, Associate Professor of Strategic Communications and Director, Center for Excellence in Health Communication to Underserved Populations
- Samantha Ghali, Doctoral Student, Child Language Doctoral Program; Student Equity & Inclusion Workgroup
- Carolyn Heacock, Lecturer and Academic Program Associate, Applied English Center
- Tamara Huff Johnson, President, Black Alumni Network
- Jill Hummels, Chief of Staff and Director of Internal Communications in the Office of the Provost
- Angela Karlin, Assistant Vice Provost/Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships
- Addison Keegan-Harris, Director Strategic Initiatives for the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusions, and Belonging
- Derek Kwan, Executive Director of the Lied Center for the Performing Arts
- Kristi Lacle, Senior Vice President of Operations and Programs, KU Alumni Association
- Jenny Mehmedovic, Associate Director, Center for Faculty Development and Mentoring
- Tamicka Monson, Accessibility Specialist, University Academic Support Center
- Sean Navarro, Assistant Director, Military-Affiliated Student Center
- Cambrey Nguyen, Clinical Assistant Professor, Pharmacy Practice
- Melissa Peterson, Director of Tribal Relations
- Nicole Reiz, Director of Professional Development, Office of Graduate Studies
- Annise Richard, Adidas Leadership Scholars Program Coordinator, Undergraduate Success
- Kevin Smith, Dean of the KU Libraries
- Belinda Sturm, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Professor of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering.
- Nick Syrett, Professor and Chair, Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
- Julie Thornton, Director of Employee Relations, Human Resource Management
- Patricia Weems Gaston, Lacy C. Haynes Professor of Journalism, Black Alumni Network
- Ashleigh Wilson, Director of the Center for Sexuality & Gender Diversity
- Michelle Wilson, Academic Coordinator, TRIO SES & STEM
- Lisa Wolf-Wendel, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies and Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
- Jomella Watson-Thompson, Director of the Center for Service Learning, Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science, and Associate Director in the Center for Community Health and Development
- Vacant - ADA Resource Center Representative
The DEIB Steering Committee is a working group, convened by the Vice Provost for DEIB, charged with developing concrete steps and tracking metrics of progress for improving diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at KU. The committee is comprised of professionals across the institution, sometimes referred to as Equity Advisors, who have DEIB work included as a part of their day-to-day job responsibilities within their unit. Together, these individuals provide strategic leadership and accountability within our Inclusive Excellence Strategic Planning process
The Task Force on Community-Responsive Public Safety was created in summer 2020 by Chancellor Girod to review KU Public Safety policies and procedures; examine best practices and proposals for change; and make recommendations to ensure respectful, transparent and community-responsive public safety services.
The task force comprised students, faculty and staff and was chaired by Distinguished Professor Charles Epp. In October 2020, the task force published its preliminary report and recommendations and invited the KU community to provide feedback. On Nov. 10, the task force shared its final report and recommendations with Chancellor Girod for review.
On May 24, 2021, Chancellor Girod announced that the university would be implementing all of the task force's recommendations and provided a point-by-point summary addressing each recommendation.