The Metropolitan State University of Denver Office of Diversity and Inclusion has selected six faculty members to serve as Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Faculty Fellows.
Fellows will work closely with Chalane Lechuga, Ph.D., director for Faculty Diversity Research and Development, under the direction of Michael Benitez, Ph.D., vice president for Diversity and Inclusion. They will administer programs and initiatives developed by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to advance the University’s 2030 Strategic Plan and the Diversity Strategic Plan, with attention to faculty recruitment and retention as well as resources and support for faculty development.
Fellows
- Tricia Hudson Matthew, Ph.D., (Human Services and Counseling, College of Health and Applied Sciences) will develop curriculum and facilitate the Tenure Track Supper Club twice a semester, facilitate faculty engagement with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity membership, and research and outline a Universitywide faculty-mentorship program.
- Bill D. Herman, Ph.D., (Marketing, College of Business) and Daphne Simmonds, Ph.D., (Computer Information Systems, College of Business) are working collaboratively to develop a database of resources for diverse faculty recruitment, retention and success in higher education. They are also working to draft a literature review of relevant scholarship and to complete an inventory of efforts across campus to address diverse faculty recruitment, retention and success (i.e., University level, dean level, department level).
- Jovan Hernandez, Ph.D., (Psychological Sciences, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences) and K Scherrer, Ph.D., (Social Work, College of Health and Applied Sciences) are leading Campus Climate Survey efforts by completing an analysis of the qualitative comments from the 2021 survey and disseminating the findings (read the quantitative findings). Hernandez and Scherrer are also leading the development, administration and analysis of the 2024 Campus Climate Survey, which will be grounded in the unique context of MSU Denver and will be used in subsequent years.
- Chereka Dickerson, Ph.D., (English, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences) will collaborate with Human Resources to develop and deliver a culturally responsive-practices curriculum and training for all employees, with an emphasis on staff. Dickerson will also complete an inventory of culturally responsive-practices development at MSU Denver and work with University affinity groups to articulate recommendations for institutional support.
All fellows are engaged with the subcommittees of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, with two of them co-leading the Campus Climate subcommittee and one co-leading the Faculty and Staff Recruitment and Retention subcommittee. They will also serve as diversity liaisons and conduits of information on DEI to their respective colleges and schools and across campus.