Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer

The College of Wooster invites applications and nominations for the new position of Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer (CDEIO). Reporting directly to President Sarah Bolton, this leader will serve as a key strategic advisor to the President and as a member of the President’s Cabinet. The CDEIO will collaborate with the College’s diverse stakeholders to provide leadership and strategic direction, together creating an environment that is welcoming, inclusive and respectful, and whose members feel equal ownership of the community with accountability to one another.

Founded in 1866 and located in Wooster, Ohio, The College of Wooster enrolls approximately 2,000 students. The College is nationally and internationally recognized for its excellent, comprehensive liberal-arts education, culminating in a distinctive senior project (Independent Study), in which each student works one-on-one with a faculty mentor over an academic year to conceive, organize and complete a significant research or creative project.

Wooster has sought to be inclusive from its founding, at which its inaugural president laid out the importance of being “a place of studies for all”  adding that “The essential test of citizenship in the commonwealth of science and letters should be character, mental and moral quality, and attainment, not condition, race, color, or sex.” The Independent Study project for all students was created in the late 1940s, based on the idea that every student could, and should, do work that had never been done before. Campus diversity has been increasing quickly, and the student body is 15 percent international students (from over 40 countries) and 21 percent U.S. students of color.

The CDEIO will serve as a visible campus and community leader, leading diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and efforts across campus and building on significant commitments and resources such as the College’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion, POSSE program and Perry-Williams post-doctoral fellow program. The CDEIO will build consensus around the definition of diversity and inclusion at the College, lead the implementation of the 2017 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, enhance recruitment and retention programs for faculty, staff and students, and deepen connections between the City of Wooster and the campus.

The ideal candidate will be an advocate, a skilled convener and an expert on diversity, equity and inclusion issues. The CDEIO will possess excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and be a builder and nurturer of collaborative relationships. Additional qualifications include experience advancing diversity, equity and inclusion through successful strategies and initiatives and the use of data and research to inform strategic analysis, assessment and measurement of effective diversity and inclusion programs. A terminal degree is preferred, but not required.

Inquiries, nominations and applications are invited. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. For fullest consideration, applicant materials should be received by October 24, 2018. Candidates should provide a curriculum vitae, a letter of application that addresses the responsibilities and requirements described in the Leadership Statement and the names and contact information of five references. References will not be contacted without prior knowledge and approval of candidates. These materials should be sent electronically via e-mail to The College of Wooster’s consultants Charlene Aguilar and Christine J. Pendleton at WoosterCDEIO@wittkieffer.com.

The College of Wooster values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity for all persons regardless of age, color, disability, ethnicity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other status protected by law.