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Search for the Chief Diversity Officer

Position Profile

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THE SEARCH

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) seeks an enterprising and inspiring leader to become its Chief Diversity Officer. This person will help build an environment in which diversity and inclusiveness are fully integrated into the University’s missions of teaching, scholarship, and community engagement.

The Chief Diversity Officer will report directly to the president, will participate fully in the senior leadership of the University, and will lead the efforts of the University community in the development and implementation of a strategic vision and operational plan for advancing diversity. The Chief Diversity Officer will also oversee an academic affairs portfolio that includes retention and recruitment of diverse faculty and students.

Home to 16,500 students, RIT is among the 15 largest private universities in the country, based on full-time undergraduate enrollment. RIT comprises 13,900 undergraduate and 2,600 graduate students and 2,800 faculty and staff and operates with an annual budget of more than $492 million. The University has established a distinctive position in the national higher education landscape by its ability to offer traditional “institute of technology” programs in science, engineering, and business along with strong programs in the liberal, design, and creative arts. In addition, its RIT National Technical Institute of the Deaf adds a social and educational dynamic not found at any other university. RIT has also been recognized by The Chronicle of Higher Education in their 2009 Great Colleges to Work For Program.

RIT has long held a deep commitment to inclusion as a core institutional value and to increasing diversity in all dimensions across its student body, faculty, and staff.  Significant progress has been made in recent years and the overarching challenge for the new Chief Diversity Officer will be to build on this solid foundation and to accelerate the momentum to reach out, embrace, and value diversity in all of its populations. RIT seeks a strategic leader and diversity advocate from the academy, industry, or government with a proven track record of successfully creating diversity programs and collaborating with a broad range of constituencies in their implementation. In addition, the successful candidate will possess the energy, enthusiasm, drive, and engaging personality necessary to achieve ambitious University goals.

Rochester Institute of Technology has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in this recruitment. After extensive consultation with key leaders and stakeholders, the firm prepared this document, which describes the overall context for this recruitment, the challenges and opportunities facing the next Chief Diversity Officer, and the personal and professional characteristics that the ideal candidate should possess. All applications, inquiries, and nominations, which will remain confidential, should be directed to the search firm as indicated at the end of this document. For more information about RIT, please visit www.rit.edu.

ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

From its beginnings, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has been deeply connected to the educational and practical training needs of both citizenry and industry. The University’s roots go back to 1829 when the city’s founders established the Rochester Athenaeum, a library and cultural center that offered public lectures and debates and attracted such luminaries as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Oliver Wendell Holmes. In 1891, the Athenaeum merged with the Mechanics Institute, which had been created and funded by local business and community leaders to provide technical training to meet industry’s growing demand for skilled workers. The merged institution—the Rochester Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute—combined cultural education and practical technical training. In 1912, cooperative education was added to the programmatic mix and the core foundation was in place for Rochester Institute of Technology, as it has been named since 1944.

Today, RIT enrolls 16,500 full and part-time students (13,900 undergraduate and 2,600 graduate students) who represent 50 states and 95 nations. Over one-fifth of entering freshmen are minority and international students. The presence of 1,100 deaf and hard-of-hearing students enrolled in RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf adds a unique social and educational dynamic. RIT also offers an array of support services for deaf students who choose to enroll directly to any of the programs offered in the University’s other seven colleges.

The University is well known for both its commitment to undergraduate students and for offering a broad range of programs that combine both theoretical and practical applications with a proven need in the marketplace. In the most recent U.S. News and World Report, RIT ranked seventh overall in the “Best Universities—Master’s (North region)” category and scored second in peer assessment, a survey of presidents, provosts, and deans from other universities judging a school’s academic excellence. RIT is also listed in The Princeton Review publication, The Best 361 Colleges.
RIT offers undergraduate and graduate programs, including several doctoral degrees, in eight colleges:

Engineering, imaging, technology, fine and applied arts, science, computing and information sciences, business, and education for the deaf, are among RIT’s well recognized disciplinary strengths. In addition to its cutting-edge education in the technological fields and its strong arts, humanities, and science programs, RIT gives students the ability to acquire practical experience gained through the University’s cooperative education program, one of the largest in the world with more than 3,500 students participating each year.

At the undergraduate level, RIT offers programs and degrees (certificate, diploma, associate, bachelor of science, bachelor of fine arts) across an unusual breadth of educational offerings, such as microelectronic and software engineering, imaging science, film/animation, biotechnology, printing management, international business, and telecommunications engineering technology. The University’s undergraduate programs in business and engineering are among the top sixty in the nation, according to the most recent U.S. News rankings, and the photography program is widely regarded as one of the best in the country. The College of Computing and Information Sciences is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the country. Specialized academic units such as the Center for Imaging Science; the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), created by federal law in 1965 under President Johnson and located at RIT in 1966; the School for American Crafts; and the School of Print Media, serve unique educational needs.

Recognizing the growing internationalization of industry and the changing training needs of those future employers, RIT also operates the American College of Management and Technology in Dubrovnik, Croatia; U.S. Business School in Prague, Czech Republic; and the American University in Kosovo.

RIT offers more than 70 graduate programs, available on a full-time, part-time, on-line, and evening basis, leading to the master of science, master of engineering, master of fine arts, master of science for teachers, and master of business administration degrees, as well as several Ph.D. programs. Graduate programs are generally market-driven, created in response to industry and learner requests for education in particular functional areas, such as the recently established, first-of-its-kind doctoral program in microsystems engineering. Instruction blends both theoretical and practical approaches and students often conduct research and special projects within an employer’s facility. RIT continuously re-evaluates its graduate offerings, striving to remain responsive to industry trends and skill requirements.

An RIT education also places a great deal of importance on a liberal arts curriculum in a world of change. Each undergraduate student takes a core curriculum that includes courses in the humanities, social sciences, and writing. The core is taught by more than 100 faculty members and provides the solid academic foundation in communication skills and cultural awareness required for academic and professional success. Many opportunities also exist for students to collaborate with members of the faculty in creative projects, which can range from original research to projects sponsored and funded by industry. RIT offers a broad range of study abroad options, including opportunities in Croatia, Dominican Republic, England, Germany, Kosovo, and Japan, as well as shared programs with Syracuse University in Italy, Spain, Australia, and Mozambique, among others.

LOCATION AND CAMPUS

RIT is located in Henrietta, an attractive suburb close to Rochester, which is the third most populous city in New York state and situated on the south shore of Lake Ontario. The RIT campus encompasses 238 academic, residential, and student life buildings on over 1,300 acres and has seen a dramatic improvement in its physical facilities over the past decade.

More than $300 million has been invested to renovate or expand existing facilities and to construct new state-of-the-art buildings, including the Bates Science Study Center, the Dyer Arts Center at NTID, the Gordon Field House and Activities Center, and the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences. In 2003, RIT received a grant from New York State to build a new $8 million, 35,000-square-foot, on-campus facility which will house the RIT Center for Bioscience Education and Technology, to offer customized workforce training and professional development services in the biosciences. Park Point at RIT, a commercial venture that brings a variety of shopping, dining, and housing to a 90-acre parcel on the northeast corner of campus, opened in 2008.

The RIT campus has also received national recognition as one of the most sophisticated high technology campuses in the country, earning awards from both The Princeton Review and Yahoo Internet Life for its state-of-the-art technical environment. “Smart” classrooms; computer centers; microcomputer, computer graphics, and robotics labs; and a state-of-the-art microelectronics “clean room” facility enhance student education. RIT is also one of a select group of universities with access to the Internet2 research network.

 CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER

Dr. William W. Destler was named president of Rochester Institute of Technology on July 1, 2007. President Destler joined RIT from the University of Maryland, where he spent more than 30 years, rising from the ranks of research associate and assistant professor of electrical engineering to senior vice president and provost, a position he had held since 2001. He brings to RIT a passionate commitment to diversity as a core value and a critical component of American higher education and society at large.  President Destler expects the new position of Chief Diversity Officer to be a key member of his cabinet and the strategic leader for diversity and inclusion across the RIT campus and community.

He has stated that, “If the U.S. is to maintain and enhance its current standard of living in the new knowledge economy, American colleges and universities will need to expand opportunities on their campuses to members of historically under-represented groups such as African Americans, Latino/a Americans, Native Americans, and in some areas, women, if we are to have the trained workforce we will need in years to come.” It is, the president continues, “a matter of our future economic survival.”

The CDO will have two broad areas of responsibility. Reporting to the president, he/she will be a senior resource and catalyst to strategize, plan, and collaborate with RIT administrators, faculty, and students on the definition and oversight of diversity initiatives, policies, and programs. In addition, the Chief Diversity Officer will have an academic portfolio and in this regard will work in close collaboration with the provost. In all areas, the CDO will seek university-wide input, participation, and buy-in in creating and leading programs that advance diversity and its contributions to the core mission of Rochester Institute of Technology.

The Chief Diversity Officer will have six direct reports: Director, Diversity Assessment/Research Management; Executive Director, Faculty Recruitment; Director, North Star Center for Academic Success and Cultural Affairs; Minett Professor, a part-time appointment that brings distinguished minority professionals to campus for one year; Sr. Staff Assistant; and Staff Assistant. The CDO serves as chair of the Executive Diversity Council, the Council on Diversity and Inclusion, and the Functional Partners Diversity Council and is a member of the Board of Trustee’s Diversity Committee, the Commission on Pluralism and Inclusion, the President’s Commission on Women, the Provost’s Deaf Access Committee, and the Institute Research Committee.

KEY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

While RIT has made significant and measurable strides toward promoting racial and cultural understanding, and in building a more diverse community, the senior leadership and the campus community recognize that important work remains to be done.  The University is deeply committed to advancing this critical effort and to increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of its student body, faculty, and staff, essential to fully realizing its mission and its aspirations as a learning community. Within this context, the overarching challenge for the new Chief Diversity Officer will be to build on the good work done to date and to accelerate the momentum to reach out, embrace, and value diversity in all of its populations.

The major challenges and opportunities for the new CDO include:

Provide strategic vision and leadership on diversity and inclusiveness

RIT seeks a Chief Diversity Officer who will bring leadership, vision, and a collaborative spirit to its overall diversity efforts. The CDO will be a member of the President’s cabinet and as such will provide important input and guidance to the strategies and policies of the institution. From that leadership position, the CDO will work on a broad basis across campus to establish a sharper vision, create a clearer definition, and fine-tune and enhance current goals and objectives for diversity.  RIT seeks a CDO who will influence, educate, inform, persuade, coordinate, and collaborate with all constituencies to promote institutional diversity and an inclusive culture in the fullest sense.

Coordinate the University’s many diversity efforts, encouraging collaboration and success

The University has long held a commitment to diversity and as a result a broad set of diversity activities have grown organically across campus. A key task for the CDO will be to unite these efforts under one organizational umbrella in order to capitalize on programmatic synergies and to increase effectiveness. Working collaboratively with these existing diversity campus entities, galvanizing them around a broader vision, and leading them to new levels of achievement is a central aspect of the CDO’s role.

Guide and lead the University in attaining its diversity goals

RIT has articulated clear and measurable institutional diversity goals and the CDO will have responsibility for their assessment, adjustment, and achievement. Working in collaboration with the President and President’s Executive Council members, executive administration, senior staff, and faculty, the CDO will review diversity objectives and ensure on an ongoing basis that they are directly linked to the University mission statement and policies. Establishing review systems that measure success for diversity and inclusion, reporting results to the University community, and using those results for continuous improvement will figure in this work.

RIT has articulated its current goals as follows:

Access Goals

Retention Goals

Excellence Goals

Act as the University’s diversity spokesperson and thought leader

The CDO will be the University’s primary voice on matters of equity, diversity, and inclusion, educating constituents within and outside the campus. The CDO will be expected to develop and implement processes and strategies to communicate effectively RIT plans and policies on diversity and the importance and advantages of a culture that values, supports, and affirms each member of its community. The CDO will work closely with vice presidents, provost, deans, and department heads to develop effective strategies to attract and retain a more diverse faculty, staff, and student body. Additionally, the CDO will collaborate with other administrators to develop and administer training and development programs to enhance responsiveness to issues of racial and cultural diversity in the workplace.

Help develop, recruit, and lead faculty in the diversity mission

The CDO will collaborate with faculty and academic leaders to recruit and retain diverse faculty and to expand understanding of the critical value and full meaning of institutional inclusiveness. S/he will focus on expanding the pool of faculty candidates by reaching out to and attracting underserved populations, chiefly African Americans, Latina/o Americans, and Native Americans (AALANA), and women, to RIT. The CDO will also collaborate with the provost and deans to foster faculty research and curriculum on diversity, inclusion, and related issues, including culturally competent pedagogy, contributing to an academic culture that embraces diversity in all its aspects.

Oversee and advance academic programs serving the diversity mission

The Chief Diversity Officer will oversee key academic programs that advance the diversity agenda at RIT. Ensuring that these programs are well managed and are positively affecting diversity and inclusion on campus will be a key task of the CDO. These programs include:

The North Star Center – Established in 2000 as part of an Institute-wide initiative to increase student retention and graduation, it serves all students at RIT, regardless of ethnic background, but primarily exists to retain and graduate African American, Latin American, and Native American (AALANA) students.

The Future Stewards Program – This program provides on-campus support and student advising services along with research and cooperative education opportunities for American Indian, Alaska Native, and First Nations Scholars.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

The ideal candidate will be a proactive and strategic advocate, partner, and leader who will develop constructive relationships with faculty, administration, students, alumni, and other University stakeholders. S/he will possess strategic diversity experience, a proven track record of successfully creating diversity programs, and the energy, enthusiasm, drive, and engaging personality necessary to achieve ambitious University goals.

RIT will search nationally for candidates, seeking proven leaders in the field who have helped move the diversity and inclusiveness agenda forward in a complex enterprise. We seek outstanding candidates from the academy, as well as industry and government, with the intellectual vitality, collegiality, and interpersonal skills to serve RIT well in this capacity.

While no one person will embody them all, the successful candidate will bring many of the following professional qualifications, skills, experience, and personal qualities:

TO APPLY

Isaacson, Miller has been retained by Rochester Institute of Technology to assist in its identification and review of candidates. Inquiries, referrals, and cover letters and resumes should be sent by e-mail and in confidence to:

Vivian Brocard, Vice President & Director
Donna Cramer, Senior Associate
ISAACSON, MILLER
334 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-262-6500
E-mail:3868@imsearch.com

RIT is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer