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New Monograph Offers Guidance and Insight Into the Role of Chief Diversity Officers and Their Emergence in Academe

Washington, DC (Jan. 28, 2008)—The authors of a new primer on the emergence and role of chief diversity officers (CDOs) at the nation's colleges and universities conclude that “without dedicated diversity leadership that focuses on driving the wheel of change as a matter of first priority, campuses will continue to flounder in their diversity efforts.”

Damon A. Williams, assistant vice provost for multicultural and international affairs at the University of Connecticut, and Katrina C. Wade-Golden, senior research scientist at the University of Michigan's Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives, reach that conclusion in a monograph published by the American Council on Education (ACE).

The Chief Diversity Officer: A Primer for College and University Presidents is the third in a series of occasional papers by ACE's Center for Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Equity (CAREE). The publication was produced with support from ING.

Williams and Wade-Golden tackle some of the following questions: What is a chief diversity officer? How are their capabilities designed? How can they play a key role in developing and delivering the diversity goals and objectives of the institutions they serve?

“With this monograph we really wanted to infuse discipline and clarity into the process of developing chief diversity officer capabilities in higher education,” said Williams. “Too often, presidents are forced to reinvent the wheel because they don't have a solid grasp of the who, what, and how of the CDO. With this monograph, and our impending book, we have hopefully made a contribution that higher education leaders can innovate from as they develop dynamic diversity capabilities at their respective institutions.”

“The prolific emergence of this capability within higher education is in accord with key societal trends to move the diversity and inclusion discussion from the periphery to the center,” added Wade-Golden. “It also underscores the critical importance for leadership to capitalize on this significant moment in time by giving deep consideration to the type of individual to fulfill the role within a specific institutional context, and equipping that officer with the requisite level of resources to accomplish their work with excellence.” 

The paper takes a close look at the growth of chief diversity officers on U.S. campuses in recent years, explains three models of organizational diversity in higher education, offers strategic guidance for college and university presidents considering launching the CDO capability on their campus, and makes recommendations designed to help campus leaders create an environment for chief diversity officers to thrive.

Among the authors' key recommendations:

• The CDO should report to the president or chief academic officer of the institution.
• Senior leadership should charge the CDO to work as an integrator, collaborating with key departments across the institution.
• Senior leadership must provide CDOs with both symbolic and material resources to encourage the change process on campus.

“It is clear that chief diversity officers are playing an increasingly vital role on the senior leadership team of college and university campuses,” said Diana I. Córdova, director of CAREE.  “But presidents and chancellors tell us they continue to look for ways to leverage their skills to achieve maximum benefit with students and faculty—we hope this monograph can provide campus leaders with some guidance and new ideas.”

“At ING, diverse representation among our customer base is a business imperative. Diversity among our customers is directly correlated to diverse representation among our employees and distribution partners,” said Ethel Pippin, ING vice president.  “Consistent with the recommendations of this monograph, ING has recently elevated the chief diversity officer role and has expanded the focus on increasing diverse representation within each core business unit in the U.S.”

The publication concludes with perspectives from two university presidents: Rebecca S. Chopp, president of Colgate University, and Mark A. Emmert, president of the University of Washington, who offer their own insight into this important topic.

As part of ACE's 90th Annual Meeting next month in San Diego, Williams and Wade-Golden will participate in a session on chief diversity officers co-sponsored by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. They are also the authors of the forthcoming book The Chief Diversity Officer: Strategy, Structure, and Change Management.

Copies of The Chief Diversity Officer: A Primer for College and University Presidents (Item # 311683) are available for $25 plus shipping and handling via the ACE bookstore at www.acenet.edu/bookstore. Orders may also be placed through ACE Fulfillment Service, Department 191, Washington, DC, 20055 or by calling (301) 632-6757.

Founded in 1918, ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents, and more than 200 related associations, nationwide. It seeks to provide leadership and a unifying voice on key higher education issues and influence public policy through advocacy, research, and program initiatives.

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