Northern Arizona University
PAE-6: Diversity and Equity Coordination

The Advisory Council on Diversity and Equity’s main objective is to create and sustain a campus atmosphere that is inclusive, respectful, and accommodating of human differences. The council works to coordinate diversity initiatives at NAU by bringing together various commissions and other members of the University who advocate on matters of diversity and equity. The council is also involved in efforts to recruit more international and 1st generation students to the University.

David Camacho, Chair of the ACDE, Special Assistant to the President. Sheila Nair, Co-chair, Commission on Ethnic Diversity. Catherine Talakte, Co-chair, Commission on Native Americans. Christopher Lanterman, Co-chair, Commission on Disability Access and Design. Mary Lane-Kelso, Co-chair, Commission on the Status of Women. Rick Brandel, Dean of Students. Eileen Mahoney, Director, Academic Advising Services. Jane Mulrooney, Director, Disability Support Services. Priscilla Mills, Director, Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity. Thomas Uno, Assistant Director, Institute for Human Development. Chris Duarte, President, People Respecting Individuals and Sexual Minorities (PRISM). Sasha Solomonov, President, Associated Students for Women’s Issues (ASWI). Brad Busse, President, Associated Students of Northern Arizona University (ASNAU). Sara Aleman, Director, Ethnic Studies Program. Richard Lei, Faculty Senate Representative. Frances Riemer, Director, Women’s Studies Program. Octaviana Trujillo, Chair, Department of Applied Indigenous Studies. Patrick Deegan, Associate Dean, Distance Learning.

The LEADS (Leadership, Engagement, Achievement, Diversity, and Service) Center at Northern Arizona University combines three campus departments to provide the best in advising, mentoring, and cultural celebrations. Currently located in the University Union, the LEADS Center houses the Multicultural Student Center (MSC), Native American Student Services (NASS), and Student Support Services (SSS). The center is committed to creating a campus environment that values and supports students with different perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds.

David Camacho, special assistant to the president, has assumed the additional title of associate vice president for Diversity and Equity to better reflect the work he has been conducting for university diversity initiatives. "The progress we have made in the area of diversity and equity compels us to appropriately title David to reflect the work he has been doing," said NAU President John Haeger. "In so doing, the institution is demonstrating our value for diversity and equity, and we are committed to making substantive changes." As associate vice president for Diversity and Equity, Camacho will be more appropriately recognized as the university's chief diversity officer. He will continue to work closely with university vice presidents on diversity issues, and credits much of NAU's progress to the commitment of the vice presidents to support institutional change. "I am stating the obvious when saying that one person alone cannot create the systemic change of the type NAU is experiencing right now," Camacho said. "It takes a lot of people at all levels of the university to create change." Camacho works closely with the Commission on Ethnic Diversity, Commission on Native Americans, Commission on the Status of Women and the local chapter of the Arizona Association of Chicanos for Higher Education, known as AACHE. He also serves on the Arizona Minority Education Policy Analysis Center. He chairs the university's Advisory Council on Diversity and Equity. At the February 2007 annual conference of the American Council on Education, Camacho was elected to a two-year term on the board of directors of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. Camacho, a professor of political science, has been with NAU since 1989 and has been coordinating university-wide diversity and equity initiatives since being appointed as special assistant to the president in 2004.