Diversity and inclusion vice president finalists named

Finalists have been selected for the inaugural position of vice president of diversity and inclusion and will speak in open forums.

The four finalists for the position are Dr. Talia Carroll, former state senator Angela Monson, Dr. Terrence Mitchell, and Dr. Jobi Martinez.

Jessica Martinez-Brooks, interim diversity and inclusion advocate, said the candidate chosen for the position will be responsible for diversity and inclusion initiatives on campus with an emphasis on training experience.

“We’ve been looking for somebody who has strong leadership skills in this area at other institutions,” Martinez-Brooks said. “Since this is an inaugural office, it will be important the VP has experience doing this type of work.”

Martinez-Brooks said the four candidates have unique skill sets.

“One of the key things I think each candidate brings is their ability to build relationships across campus and to build relationships with both internal and external stakeholders,” Martinez-Brooks said. 

Next week, there will be an alumni and community open forum with the vice president of diversity and inclusion candidates. Each session will be from 4:15-5 p.m. in the OCU School of Law, and each candidate will have their own day dedicated to their forum.

Mitchell’s forum will be on Feb. 24, followed by Monson’s forum on Feb. 25. Martinez’s forum will be on Feb. 26, and Carroll’s will be on Feb. 27. All forums will be in room 509 of the OCU School of Law, with the exception of Martinez, whose forum will be in room 504.

Martinez-Brooks said the demographics of higher education are changing rapidly, so it is important to prepare students for both their educational and occupational careers.

“It’s important we prepare students to be culturally diverse and culturally competent,” Martinez-Books said. “It’s important to have these conversations about inclusion on campus because it’s a safe learning environment. We want to be the change agents and encourage others to see the value in collaboration.”

Martinez-Brooks said the Human Resources department had been considering creating this position for years, but the students and the Student Government Association recently identified it as an necessity for the campus.

Chris Richie, music sophomore and vice president of the Black Student Association, said BSA, along with the Hispanic Student Association and the Native American Society, has been at the forefront in communicating the need for this position. 

“It’s really great we’re creating a position that gives people of color and people of diverse backgrounds a chance to be heard,” Richie said. “It’s especially a good idea because of everything that has happened this past year. This is a long process, and hiring a VP dedicated to diversity is just the first step.

Richie also said he was surprised the university didn’t already have a position dedicated to diversity.

“When I first came to school, I saw someone who looked like me and thought like me. I felt like I was home,” Richie said. “Having a faculty member that represents and works to create that feeling for students is great.” 

Richie said it’s important for students to be involved in both the VP forums and in future diversity and inclusion events once the VP is hired.

“This is what the multicultural coalition has been asking for so we can help the university move forward,” Richie said. “I think we’re a progressive university, and being involved is really going to help us grow and show that we’re a diverse campus.”

For any questions about the forums or other ways to get involved, contact Martinez-Brooks at jmartinez@okcu.edu.