In an effort to maximize involvement in the University’s diversity efforts, a group has been formed incorporating representatives from all schools and major departments at the University.
The Coordinating Council for Diversity Initiatives was formed to address diversity and gender balance in the faculty ranks and in the managerial-level administrative ranks, according to Leah Merrifield, special assistant to the chancellor for diversity initiatives.
“Previous and current approaches to strengthening diversity at the University have been driven by the individual colleges and have been focused just on faculty,” Merrifield said. “This is the first time we’ve had a University-wide approach to the issue.”
The impetus for forming this council came out of a series of discussions between Merrifield and Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton, following the most recent reaccredidation report from the North Central Association, which was released in the fall.
The report noted that Washington University had not improved in the area of diversity as much as it had in several other areas.
With that in mind, the council was formed with one main focus.
“The overriding goal is to improve the racial diversity and gender balance (where appropriate) among the faculty and professional staff at Washington University,” Merrifield said. “The initiative is designed to assist the University in attracting and maintaining a diverse and more representative population of faculty and staff.”
One of the first activities undertaken by this coordinating council will be a daylong retreat with the University Council Oct. 15.
The retreat will bring the University’s top leadership team together with the diversity group to begin the process of identifying the University’s diversity needs and strategies to address those needs.
The coordinating council members, nominated by deans and vice chancellors and selected by Wrighton, are:
• John Baugh, Ph.D. (Arts & Sciences faculty);
• Georgia Binnington (art);
• Jim Burmeister (public affairs);
• Justin Carroll (student affairs);
• Legail Chandler (human resources, Medical Campus);
• Mike Dunlap (finance);
• Ida Early (alumni & development);
• Lorraine Goffe-Rush (human resources, Hilltop Campus);
• Diana Gray, M.D. (medicine);
• Bob Hansman (architecture);
• Denise McCartney (research);
• Kim Norwood, J.D. (law);
• Judi McLean Parks, Ph.D. (business);
• Susan Rollins (Arts & Sciences staff);
• Gruia-Catalin Roman, Ph.D. (engineering);
• Will Ross, M.D. (medicine);
• Bill Wibbing (libraries); and
• Luis Zayas, Ph.D. (social work).