Director of Diversity and Inclusion position promoted to senior staff

In an attempt to bolster the authority of the director of Diversity and Inclusion, Chapman administration promoted the role to a vice presidential level and are actively reshaping the job description. Panther Archives

At an on-campus protest organized by the Black Student Union (BSU) on Chapman’s campus, the Department of Peace Studies Chair Lisa Leitz announced Aug. 29 that the administration is in the process of recruiting for a new vice president of Diversity and Inclusion. The decision was orchestrated by President Struppa in order to instill more authority and resources into the role, said vice provost for Academic Administration and presidential adviser on Faculty Diversification Lawrence “LB” Brown. 

“We always had a Diversity and Inclusion position, but it was a director position underneath the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs,” Brown said. “Once we saw just how much attention there needs to be paid to this issue, that’s when we decided initially it would be at the vice provost level, but then really realized that it has to be at the vice president level for them to be truly as effective as possible in what they do.”

Leitz is one of the many faculty members who voiced to the administration that effective change in creating an equitable campus would only occur if the director position was promoted to the senior staff level and represented by a scholar with expertise in the field of diversity and social movements. The initiative comes after the Chapman community’s outspoken distaste toward constitutional law professor John Eastman’s op-ed on California Sen. Kamala Harris. Leitz helped create and circulate a petition specifically aimed toward the administration to reaffirm the belief that Eastman’s interpretation of the 14th Amendment is nothing short of “anti-immigrant prejudice.”

“I had explained to (Struppa) in emails following the petition my thoughts that this person should help him craft messages on diversity and help him do work,” Leitz told The Panther. “There’s a big fight right now about whether or not this position should mostly be about faculty and curriculum or that it should touch on the whole campus. A lot of the (senior staff) doesn’t want to give up any power.”

Currently, Brown and Dean of Students Jerry Price are serving as co-chairs of the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee in an effort to curate a job description before recruiting with the use of a search committee. Brown elaborated that while the job’s day-to-day objectives are still being formulated, the key facets of the position will include fostering a more inclusive environment and recruiting a well-rounded, diverse collective of  students, faculty and staff. As one of only 10 other vice presidents serving as Chapman senior staff leadership, the new recruit will be able to work directly with sectors like Human Resources or Price’s office directly to constitute change.

“In my 55 years of being on this planet, I’ve found that most conflict comes from a lack of understanding other people’s perspectives. And fear comes from lack of understanding of reality,” Brown said. “One of the parts of improving Chapman from where it is now and moving forward is having a space for these conversations where people from multiple viewpoints (can speak).”

The recruitment for this new role is only a singular aspect of Chapman’s continuation of the Diversity Project, and Leitz argued that discourse on diversity issues can be further explored in courses Chapman offers. As of Aug. 17, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill requiring California State University students from the entry class of 2021-2022 onward to complete an ethnic studies requirement – a reformative, educational approach to addressing racial inequity in settings of institutional learning. While the same cannot yet be said for Chapman, Leitz noted that over 50 faculty members are attempting to reform the curriculum and push for hiring more minority faculty in correspondence with BSU’s action plan.

“We really have to think about how much we’re asking of some of our minority faculty,” Leitz said. “Think about how many times (Rozell) ‘Prexy’ Nesbitt’s name showed up because he’s the senior Black faculty member … It is so critical for Black students and white students to see a Black faculty member. They want him in the classroom, but that also limits his opportunities (to publish research) … The only way to not abuse (Black faculty) is to keep hiring more.”