Thursday, April 13, 2017, 2:00 - 3:00 pm, EDT

Now more than ever, leadership and the advancement of Inclusive Excellence must involve intentional partnerships and engagement by all parties in the academy to encourage and develop positive outcomes. Diversity practitioners at all levels must work collaboratively to impact change. Both Individuals designated as chief diversity officers as well as those who do not hold that title are imperative in the work to support and advance Inclusive Excellence. Utilizing best practice models, this session will focus on strategies to support leadership engagement for diversity practitioners at all levels, regardless of title/position, or institution type. The presenters will focus on the importance of community building and collaboration to advance the Inclusive Excellence agenda.

Learning Outcomes/Focus:

• Inclusive leadership strategies regardless of position/title
• Building collaboration to support faculty engagement 
• Promotion of diverse faculty hiring

Presenters: 

Michele’ Smith 
Associate Provost/Special Assistant to the President for Diversity & Inclusion
Harper College

Michelé Smith is currently the associate provost/special assistant to the president for diversity & inclusion at William Rainey Harper College in Palatine, Illinois. Prior to serving in this capacity, Michelé served as dean of the business & social science division, full time faculty in the early childhood education department, and coordinator of the Harper College Child Learning Center. In her current role, Michelé is responsible for the leadership of college wide curriculum, shared governance oversight, and the college’s diversity & inclusion initiatives. These initiatives include, but are not limited to, serving as ombudsman for bias incident reporting, developing support for employee resources groups (ERGs), providing leadership for the diverse faculty fellows program aimed at improving employee diversity in the faculty ranks, and collaborating with human resources on the implementation of 360 degree feedback surveys and web based exit interviews.

In 2015, Michelé began serving as the executive lead for the Harper College Promise Scholarship Program which was designed to help every student attending one of the public high schools in the Harper College district to earn two years of college tuition free. Ms. Smith is passionate about education and empowerment. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Northwestern University, a master’s degree in early childhood education leadership and advocacy from National Louis University and is currently a candidate for her Ph.D. in educational psychology from Northern Illinois University.

Michelé is an active member of a number of organizations committed to advancing the work of higher education in conjunction with diversity & inclusion and social justice efforts in higher education. She regularly conducts interactive workshops and education sessions on the meaning, value, and transformative impact of diversity and inclusion on the health and sustainability of an institution or organization.

Roderic Land, Ph.D
Special Assistant to the President
Salt Lake Community College

Dr. Roderic Land is serving as the Special Assistant to President at Salt Lake Community College. Having received his PhD in Educational Policy, Organization, & Leadership, Dr. Land committed his life and work to higher education. As a scholar activist, he has insisted on bridging the gap between theory and practice. His hands on approach to communities broadly defined, is paramount and largely significant to his research and social agenda. As such, he has taught at the University of Utah in the Department of Education, Culture & Society & The Ethnic Studies Program.

As a professor, his academic range includes sociology of education, educational policy, hip-hop and social justice education, leadership development and Ethnic studies. His research is committed to liberatory educational practices with a sound pedagogical approach. In other words, Dr. Land insist that race and racism, coupled with other historical, oppressive realities are yet continued battles in the 21st century and are largely important to the new millennium scholar.

He has taken his work and gifts seriously. His community involvement is untiring and necessary to his philosophy and work as a scholar, researcher and administrator. He maintains and believes that God has assigned him to this duty and he humbly works as a servant for God, his students, community, and the many he has mentored throughout the years on a national level. His ultimate global impact will resituate the perception of inclusivity and equity in education and society at large.