The Formation of the CAS Diversity and Inclusion Faculty Advisory Committee

Happy New Year!
 
I am pleased to announce the formation of the CAS Diversity and Inclusion Faculty Advisory Committee (DIFAC) for the current academic year. Associate Dean of the Faculty for the Social Sciences, Professor Nazli Kibria, will serve as the chair of the committee, along with the following members:

• Associate Professor Margarita Guillory (Religion)
• Associate Professor Tarek Hassan (Economics)
• Associate Professor Malika Jeffries-El (Chemistry)
• Master Lecturer Christina J Michaud (Writing Program)
• Professor Nathan Phillips (Earth & Environment)
• Assistant Professor Jessica Simes (Sociology)
• Assistant Professor Emily Whiting (Computer Science)

Rachel Daigle, the Administrative Coordinator in the CAS Dean’s office, will act as a staff coordinator for the committee.

The DIFAC, which is an ad hoc committee, will help the College implement recommendations from the Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, specifically the recommendations related to faculty recruitment and diversity. (You can view that entire report here.) The recruitment of an Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion is deferred until an incoming CAS Dean is identified.

To get started this academic year, the DIFAC will focus on:

• Supporting departments and programs in outreach efforts to diversify their faculty
• Acting as liaisons with Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion Crystal Williams and her office
• Stewarding a CAS Faculty Diversity and Inclusion Fund, which will help support faculty initiatives related to diversity, especially faculty recruitment

This is an exciting and important step for the College, and I thank the entire committee for their commitment to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in CAS and the University. If you have any questions about these efforts, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or Dean Kibria.