March 16, 2022 Reflecting on DEIA Roles and Expectations

Earlier this month, Whitman hosted the second Tri-College Faculty and Staff of Color Social of the year. This event provides minoritized faculty and staff at the area’s three higher education institutions (Whitman, Walla Walla University and Walla Walla Community College) with an opportunity to connect, network and build community. A similar program for students of color is also organized biannually, with the next one scheduled for April.

At the most recent Faculty and Staff of Color gathering, the diversity administrators from each institution provided attendees with a summary of the professional standards for diversity officers in higher education. We posed a series of questions related to the standards for attendees to consider and discuss in small groups at the event. One of the questions addressed the alignment of the standards with what they thought the role and responsibilities of their diversity administrators were.

Review these professional standards generated by the National Association for Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) and consider the following questions:

• Are these standards consistent with your understanding or expectations of the vice president for diversity and inclusion?
• Is the Division of Diversity and Inclusion operating in a manner consistent with the NADOHE standards?
• What do you see as some potential opportunities to align the division with these standards?
• What do you think is missing from or should be added to these professional standards?
• What are some ways you might be willing/able to contribute to the DEIA work at Whitman to fill in any gaps related to these standards?

Your thoughts, comments and responses are welcome and can be submitted to diversity@whitman.edu.