Chief diversity officer named

When Kumea Shorter-Gooden takes the helm as the university's first-ever chief diversity officer in January, her prerogative will be to unite the campus in cultivating a better climate for fostering equity and diversity on all levels.

Following a national search spanning five months and more than 100 applicants, university Provost Ann Wylie announced the appointment of Shorter-Gooden as the university's first associate vice president and chief diversity officer in an email yesterday. While many of the goals for the post have already been crafted in the university's 10-year Diversity Strategic Plan, Shorter-Gooden said she will focus on bridging the minority gaps in the recruitment and retention of faculty and students and on integrating diversity issues more deeply into the curriculum.

Shorter-Gooden is a 1978 university alumna who has headed the international-multicultural initiatives at Alliant International University — which has six California and three international campuses — for the past four years. She was the first chief diversity officer at Alliant and will assume the role as this university's first on Jan. 1.

The post was created last year to head the recently restructured university Office of the Associate Provost for Equity and Diversity. When Shorter-Gooden begins her tenure she will sit on the university president's cabinet and report directly to the provost — an upgrade in influence from the university's previous top diversity position.

"Having somebody sit in the cabinet reporting to me and the provost gives a visibility and authority to that office that did not exist before — not at that level," university President Wallace Loh said in an interview yesterday. "When that person goes and talks to deans and vice presidents, they are speaking with the authority of the president and the provost and that should not be underestimated. It is sending a signal that we've always been committed to diversity; we're investing a significant amount of money into diversity; and we're hiring this person in this elevated status."

One of the major initiatives on Shorter-Gooden's plate will be overseeing the implementation of the university's Strategic Plan for Diversity, a 10-year roadmap for improving equity and diversity among students, faculty and staff on the campus. Shorter-Gooden said before she can hammer out how she plans on accomplishing this goal, she must take the time to meet with and listen to members of the university community.

But this is a lot easier said than done, according to associate provost of equity and diversity Lee Thornton.

"It's a huge deal to implement a 10-year plan," Thornton said. "She's literally got to say, ‘Here's year two, and then here's year three, and then this all leads toward something that happens in year five.'"

Additionally, Shorter-Gooden said she wants to see greater knowledge and discussion of equity and diversity issues fostered within the classroom.

"I want to see programs and curriculums infused with diversity material and imbued with pedagogical learning of diverse issues," Shorter-Gooden said. "That's already been happening and more of that needs to happen."

Additionally, Thornton said Shorter-Gooden will need to address the ongoing disparity in the recruitment and retention of women faculty and faculty of color — issues that Thornton herself fought throughout her career at the university.

Shorter-Gooden said this is a problem that will be one of her priorities in her new position, noting she plans to focus especially on the disparities in the number of Latino faculty and students. One of her first goals will be get the entire university community on board to see what the university can do to further eliminate gender, racial and ethnic gaps, she said.

"One of the key issues for me is that we need to look holistically at the climate and culture of the university," Shorter-Gooden said. "It's not enough to say, ‘What is wrong with that group, and how can we help them to be better and do better.' We need to say, ‘What is the climate of the university and how embracing and supportive and inclusive is the university as a whole?'"

In her position, Shorter-Gooden will also be charged with directly overseeing the vast number of diversity offices and organizations on the campus. This includes the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Education, the Office of LGBT Equity, the Nyumburu Cultural Center, the Office of Diversity Education and Compliance, the Equity Council, the Conflict Resolution Network, the Maryland Incentive Awards Program, the Center for Leadership and Organization Change and the President's Commissions.

"We have reorganized a number of offices and brought them together under her oversight," Wylie wrote in an email. "She will need to forge a whole out of these parts."

Several administrators said Shorter-Gooden's appointment marks the start of a new era.

"We're trailing a lot of places," Thornton said. "A lot of places have had chief diversity officers for years. We are definitely entering a new phase of Maryland's work in diversity and inclusion."

Shorter-Gooden said she is ready to take on the challenge.

"Diversity is central to excellence," she said.

villanueva@umdbk.com