Dr. Monica Smith named inaugural Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø will soon welcome Dr. Monica Smith as the college¡¯s first Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Dr. Smith joins ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø after serving as chief diversity officer in the Office for Diversity and Inclusion at Elizabethtown ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø in Elizabethtown, Pa.

¡°I am excited to join ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø as the college continues to progress toward achieving its strategic goals. The college has already laid important groundwork to foster a fertile environment for inclusion and diversity. My goal is to build on that foundation to move us toward a more inclusive ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø, one that continues to honor the Five Faith Commitments, particularly the social justice tradition,¡± said Dr. Smith.

Over the course of 10 years, the number of enrolled students of color at ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø has increased from roughly 200 to nearly 600. And in the last year, the number of international students grew to 195. After significant progress in growing the number of students of color and developing many campus initiatives to support diversity, the hire of Dr. Smith reinforces ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø¡¯s commitment to creating an inclusive environment for all students.

Dr. Smith has worked in higher education for nearly 20 years. Her most recent accomplishments including establishing employee and student diversity advisory councils, working with enrollment management to increase scholarships to eligible students, and delivering diversity awareness training and educational programs throughout the university. She also has taught both undergraduate and graduate classes at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania, and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

¡°We were excited by Dr. Smith¡¯s extensive experience, and it became abundantly clear during her time on campus that ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø would be fortunate to have her in the position of Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. I have no doubt that Dr. Smith will do an exemplary job moving the college beyond its goals in the areas of equity and inclusion,¡± said President of the ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø Steven Bahls.

According to President Bahls, it had become clear through student surveys and feedback that more resources needed to be allocated to address equity and diversity at ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø. Discussions around creating this new role began in 2016 as part of a strategic conversation with the ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø Board of Trustees centered on the disparity in the experiences of U.S.-born white students and U.S.-born students of color at ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø.

Dr. Smith has both a doctorate and master¡¯s in social work from the University of Pennsylvania. She also received a Certificate of Achievement, National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, Standards of Professional Practice Institute. She will be a member of the senior administration, reporting to the president. Dr. Smith¡¯s first day with ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø ÖйúÌå²ÊÍø will be March 19.