The two candidates for Executive Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Monique Jernigan and Norris Chase, held open forums with students two weeks ago to give students the opportunity to express their concerns and opinions about what is required of this position.
Jernigan received her master’s degree in student affairs higher education from Indiana State University, and Chase received his master’s degree in student affairs counselors education from Clemson University.
Chase has served as Bradley’s Interim Director of Multicultural Student Services since November 2014 after being appointed to the position from Assistant Director. Jernigan is currently the assistant director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.
The change in director will precede the change in name from Multicultural Student Services to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the end of the semester.
At the forums, students voiced their opinions and asked candidates questions about their plans for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and how each would develop diversity efforts on campus.
“I think in a director position, that is someone who really needs to interact with the students and create a relationship with the people on campus because the director before, not that she didn’t interact, but I felt like a lot of people didn’t even know who she was,” junior public relations major Kaprice Box said.
Being able to relate to students was one characteristic students said they were looking for in a director.
“I think it’s really important for the director to also listen to the feedback that the students have to say and what they think has to change on campus, or what they would like to see more,” sophomore health science major Gaby Rivera said. “Interacting is definitely [important].”
Another issue students mentioned was the lack of campus unity in multicultural events.
“In regards to the multicultural center, I wish there was a little bit more campus unity,” Box said. “I feel the multicultural center does things, and a lot of multicultural students show up, and you’ll have four or five non-multicultural students just trickled in between. I wish that it was a little more unified.”
Junior community wellness major Celine Coleman echoed this, saying she would like to see a greater variety of students at the events. According to Coleman, the director should be a strong voice for under-represented students to the faculty and administration.
“They need to be willing to collaborate with other departments on campus because that’s what diversity is all about,” Coleman said. “It’s not just trying to represent under-represented students, but it’s [also] about bringing all students together of different backgrounds, religions, races. That’s why the name is being changed to diversity and inclusion; we’re supposed to be a community.”
The new director is expected to be announced at the beginning of next week, according to the Vice President for Student Affairs Nathan Thomas.
