Keith Jenkins
Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion
Keith Jenkins
Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion
Education
BA, University of Arkansas; MA, Ph.D., Florida State University
Bio
Since joining the Department of Communication at RIT in 1992, Professor Jenkins, in addition to his current role as Vice President ; Associate Provost for Diversity & Inclusion, has also served as RIT Faculty-in-Residence (1993 – 1995), RIT’s first Assistant Provost for Diversity (1999 – 2002), Director of Undergraduate Degree Programs in the School of Communication (2011 – 2016), and Interim Vice President and Associate Provost, Division for Diversity & Inclusion (2016 - 2017).
Professor Jenkins is the recipient of many awards. Among the RIT awards are the 2010 Eisenhart Award for Outstanding Teaching, the 2005 Isaac L. Jordan Pluralism Award, the 2004 RIT Diversity Trailblazer Award, the 1993-94 Provost’s Excellence in Teaching Award, the 1996 and 1997 Higher Education Opportunity Program “Community Professor” awards which recognize a professor who has made a difference in the lives of HEOP students at RIT, and NTID’s (National Technical Institute for the Deaf) 1995 Pluralism Award.
Professor Jenkins’ scholarly publications and presentations center around studies in intercultural communication, political and visual rhetoric, and the rhetoric of gospel song. Most recently, the focus of his research has been on pragmatism and the rhetoric of inclusion in Barack Obama’s 2008 Presidential campaign.
Select Scholarship
Currently Teaching
In the News
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November 29, 2023
Bestselling author Ibram X. Kendi to headline Expressions of King’s Legacy
Author and historian Ibram X. Kendi will be the keynote speaker at RIT’s Expressions of King’s Legacy, an annual program dedicated to celebrating the life and impact of Martin Luther King Jr. The 2024 event will be held from noon to 2 p.m. on Jan. 30 at RIT’s Gordon Field House.
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November 6, 2023
Registration now open for annual Let Freedom Ring
RIT’s seventh annual Let Freedom Ring event will feature alumna Krystle Ellis ’09, ’15 MS as its keynote speaker on Jan. 15. The event honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by hosting speakers who challenge the RIT community to think deeper, to broaden horizons, and to express individuality.
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October 11, 2023
RIT recognized for commitment to diversity and inclusion
RIT continues to be a leader in diversity in higher education, as recognized by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. The publication announced RIT as a 2023 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award winner and a 2023 Diversity Champion. This is the 10th consecutive HEED Award and ninth consecutive Diversity Champion designation for RIT.
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October 5, 2023
Jenkins delivers keynote for Colors of Success award ceremony
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September 20, 2022
Chamber of Commerce honors Jenkins
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August 26, 2022
Staff, alumna among Chamber of Commerce honorees