Diversity & Equal Opportunity
As a result of my passion for social justice I have chosen to work at highly diverse institutions. Mercy College, where I served as Vice Provost, is a Hispanic serving institution - the student body is one third Hispanic, and one third black. Stony Brook, where I served as Assistant Provost, has the most diverse population of students within the American Association of Universities (AAU).
A key to attracting diverse students is to have a diverse faculty and staff. In all my recruitment practices, minorities, people with disabilities and of various sexual and gender orientations are encouraged to apply. I have disciplined staff for creating an unwelcoming atmosphere within my organization. At Fort Hays, where I served as Provost, nearly half of my administrative leadership team members were female, and I successfully recruited a Latino and an African-American department chair, and an African-American Assistant Dean. Of the administrative appointments I made at FHSU approximately 30% were minorities.
At Fort Hays State, I annually provided funding for a team of faculty to attend the Tilford Diversity Conference and have authorized hosting the event on the campus for two years. I also participated in planning the Hispanic College Institute, a four-day residential program aimed at encouraging Hispanic high school students to apply to a college.
