The Department Chair as the Engine of Diversity Transformation

The academic department chair is positioned to be the engine of change in diversity progress in higher education today. Serving at the core of the academic enterprise, chairs work collaboratively with faculty to empower students with the needed skills, knowledge, and competencies to participate as leaders and citizens in a diverse global society. Their diversity leadership is essential in recruiting and retaining diverse faculty, addressing curricular content, facilitating student access and success, creating inclusive classrooms, and championing innovative pedagogies that support diverse learning styles. As such, chairs contribute to the institutional tapestry of inclusive excellence that is focused on student intellectual and social development.