Thankfully, after many years, the chief diversity officer (CDO) position is getting its due on college campuses. Institutions have come to realize just how critical a CDO is to getting things done regarding diversity and inclusion as well as to legitimizing these efforts in the eyes of constituents.
That’s the good news. It is to the point, however, that the roles of most chief diversity officers have ballooned. Responsibilities include, at one end of the spectrum, recruiting and retention of students, staff, faculty, and leadership. This is the more transactional part of the job, about increasing the numbers of underrepresented individuals within the institution and ensuring a pipeline for the future.
At the other end of the spectrum is the more amorphous but critical charge to change and shape the institution’s culture, climate and reputation. Are we a fair and inclusive institution? Does our culture provide us with a competitive advantage within the increasingly fractured education marketplace of today? In the middle of things the CDO has the more operational D&I, or diversity and inclusion, matters: there are trainings to conduct, workshops to host, conferences to attend.
Further, being a CDO is akin to being a president in that every constituent group — from students to faculty to alumni to community leaders — falls within your purview. There is a lot to do. The plates of most chief diversity officers I know are full.
Creating an environment for success
When confronted with an enormous scope of responsibilities, CDOs that I know will usually take a deep breath and say, “Whose bread do I butter first?” They look for ways to prioritize and streamline their jobs in order to be most effective. They understand this comes with the territory.
Campus leadership, beginning with the president, bears responsibility for creating an environment within which the CDO can thrive without having to do everything. Here are things the president and cabinet must do before recruiting a new CDO, or to support one who is already in place.
