Molloy calls University to submit nominations for new Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion

In an email to the Rutgers community on Jan. 12, Interim Chancellor Christopher J. Molloy invited all members to submit nominations for the position of Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement (VCDICE). 

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to nominate individuals who they believe can achieve the University’s mission goals of academic excellence, diversity and inclusion, Molloy said. 

The search for the position has been underway since May 2018, according to a letter from former Chancellor Debasish Dutta. Since then, Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Wanda J. Blanchett has been assuming the position’s responsibilities. 

The search committee, which has been working since the fall semester of last year, is co-chaired by Dean Francine Conway of the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) and Frank Hundley of the Rutgers Board of Governors, Molloy said in the email. In order to ensure broad representation, the committee members are comprised of University students and faculty from different departments and units.

The previous VCDICE was Jorge Schement, who announced last May that he would be stepping down from the position and returning to teaching in the School of Communication and Information, The Daily Targum reported. 

According to the position profile, the VCDICE is responsible for increasing diversity through recruitment, retention, curriculum, research and community engagement efforts across the University. The position requires a doctoral degree or highest terminal degree appropriate for the individual’s field, as well as experience leading institutional initiatives and skills in collecting data for these initiatives. 

“Successful candidates will have a distinguished record of academic and/or administrative leadership, scholarly accomplishments, excellent interpersonal skills, an understanding of the organization of an academic institution and an understanding of and commitment to interdisciplinary research and education,” Molloy said in the email.

Letters of nomination should be directed to either Marion Frenche, team leader and managing consultant, Angela Romeo, executive search consultant or Jan Greenwod, partner of Greenwood/Asher & Associates, Inc.