The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is expanding into the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in an effort to improve “recruitment, retention and resourcefulness” for students, faculty and staff.
According to a Wednesday email from the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the expansion will allow the university to fill the needs of the campus community, especially in preparing students for “lives of success, meaning, service and positive impact.” The shift will also help make OU more accessible and attainable, and continue to make the university a place of “belonging and emotional growth” for all.
More than 20 OU employees and 15 student employees from the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center, the Inclusion Council and the TRIO Programs — which include Project Threshold, McNair Scholars and Upward Bound — will join the team. According to the email, parts of the transition have already begun, with all budgets transitioning to the DEI division at the beginning of FY 2022. These areas will stay in the same physical spaces while logistical needs are assessed.
According to the email, members of the Inclusion Council serve as diversity liaisons across all three campuses and will continue their work to make sure their strategies are realized. The liaisons collaborate with colleges, administrative areas and non-academic departments to create and implement strategic initiatives.
OU’s TRIO Programs offer assistance to aspiring college students, enrolled first-generation college students, low-income students and students registered with the ADRC with a documented disability. According to the email, these programs connect students with campus resources and offer both academic and personal support.
Project Threshold, guided by director Deborah Binkley-Jackson, is intended to increase retention and graduation rates of program participants, according to the email.
The OU McNair Scholars program — led by director Sophia Morren — provides encouragement, guidance, and mentorship to underrepresented, low-income and first-generation college students to pursue graduate school, according to the email. McNair Scholars can participate in a range of initiatives created to increase their awareness and knowledge of the graduate school application process, graduate school funding, summer research programs, and fellowship opportunities.
Upward Bound is led by director Quentin Dixon, according to the email. The program was created to encourage students to complete high school and attend a post-secondary college or university. Students that participate can also earn a stipend.
As OU makes the expansion, the place of diversity initiatives in state institutions has been a contentious topic.
House Bill 1775, which bans required gender or sexual diversity trainings at any Oklahoma higher education institution, was sent to Gov. Kevin Stitt for approval May 4. Similar bills like House Bill 1888, which would have banned gender identity training at state-funded institutions, have caused heated debate before being removed from the state legislature.
Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Belinda Higgs Hyppolite wrote in the email as OU continues to implement its strategic plan, it will continue to bring campus areas together to be more effective.
“OU’s collective efforts to truly change lives must focus on creating a culture where all community members can achieve success,” Higgs Hyppolite wrote in the email. “The new division will offer high-quality outreach and engagement opportunities, provide resources, and offer workshops, training, and development opportunities on various topics, consultations, and more.”
