Elon University
PAE-6: Diversity and Equity Coordination

The Diversity Council has five active committees that report to the Diversity Council: Curriculum and Pedagogy, Recruitment and Retention of Students, Hiring and Retention of Faculty and Staff, Institutional Messaging and Campus Climate and Assessment. Working statement Diversity is an essential component of the educational experience of our students and a key aspect of academic and workplace excellence. Elon strives to be a caring and inclusive environment where differences are valued and integrated throughout the university through a culture of inclusion where all individuals feel respected, are treated fairly and are provided an opportunity to excel. Vision Elon embraces and promotes diversity as a core value and as an essential component of academic excellence. We strive to achieve cultural competence and global understanding, reflecting humanity in all its richness. We believe learning to understand, respect and communicate with all people are critical elements of an Elon education and effective global citizenship. Council Definition of Diversity Diversity is an essential component of the educational experience and a key aspect of academic and workplace excellence. A diverse environment is caring and inclusive; differences are valued and integrated and infused throughout the university culture, and all individuals feel respected, are treated fairly and are provided an opportunity to excel. A diverse Elon campus community includes, but is not limited to, age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation and socioeconomic standing. Guiding Principles: 1. We value difficult and challenging discussions. 2. We value institutional structures that reflect and support individual definitions of identity and inclusivity. 3. We value the transparency of difficult stories and dialogues about diversity. 4. We value Elon experience stories – the good, bad and indifferent – from the entire Elon community, including faculty, staff and students. 5. We value an Elon approach to issues of diversity that supports engagement and community. 6. We value messages of diversity that are unspoken and non-verbal through institutional support, structure and representation. The Presidential Diversity Council is charged with: 1) advising the President and Senior Staff on matters of diversity, equity and inclusion. 2) monitoring progress on the diversity strategic plan. 3) taking a proactive look at issues of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Neima Abdulahi (Student) Brooke Barnett (Chair of Diversity Council, Senior Fellow for Diversity and Global Engagement) Cindy Barr (Assistant Dean of Admissions) Larry Basirico (Professor, Sociology) Mary Jo Festle (Professor, History) Kenn Gaither (Associate Dean, Communications) Dan Koehler (Student) Ashley Hairston (Associate Professor, English and Law and Humanities) Michael Rodriguez (Assistant Professor, Business) Jean Rohr (Associate Professor, Education) Jeff Stein (Special Assistant to the President) Gerald Whittington (Senior VP for Business, Finance and Technology) Leon Williams (Director, Multicultural Center)

The Senior Fellow for Diversity and Global Engagement is charged with assessing current policies and practices in place in hiring, curriculum, student recruitment and retention, and the campus climate. The Fellow is also charged with designing and implementing new policies and practices regarding these areas to prepare Elon University to be a leader in diversity and global engagement.