Buck to develop diversity vision as the first dean of diversity and inclusion

Founding Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Washington University in St. Louis LaTanya Buck will join the community as the University’s first Dean for Diversity and Inclusion in August.

“I think that it is a very challenging, yet exciting, time to be at the institution. There is a lot of work to done,” Buck said, “and I believe that this new role can contribute to the many existing diversity efforts at the University.”

Buck added that she is most looking forward to connecting with students and gaining perspective about their needs within the community.

“Gaining first-hand perspective and personal narrative are important to me, along with data and best practices, as I work through assessing and addressing needs and expectations,” she said.

She said that in the next year, she hopes to work on a diversity and inclusion personal and professional development series, though the details of such a program will depend on the vision of Campus Life. She added that her first year will also involve learning more about the community to develop a future plan and strategy.

Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun said that the Dean for Diversity and Inclusion will help the Office of Campus Life develop a vision for how to enhance its work around diversity and inclusion.

Campus Life is looking forward to having someone who has broad expertise on issues of inclusiveness, Calhoun said.

Buck is a founding director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Washington University in St. Louis. Prior to that, she spent five years as the director of the Cross Cultural Center at Saint Louis University.

Buck has also worked as the Assistant Director with a focus on minority student recruitment in the Office of Admissions of Maryville University and the Assistant Director of Multicultural Student Services at Missouri State University.

The position was created in response to recommendations from the Council of the Princeton University Community task force on diversity, equity and inclusion, according to Calhoun.

She said that the group included students, faculty and staff who discussed how to better foster diversity and inclusion across campus, and the creation of this role was among their recommendations to the President.

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“I think one of the things that was clear was that there were other parts of the University that had officers of diversity, and Campus Life was one that, while the staff was attending to diversity and inclusion, there wasn’t one [person] who had that very specific title,” Calhoun said.

She noted that in addition to bringing expertise and vision to the entire division of diversity and inclusion, the Dean will serve as a clear resource for students regarding such issues.

In her role as Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, Buck will oversee the Carl A. Fields Center, LGBT Center and the Women’s Center, according to Calhoun.

“We moved that structure so that, again, we could focus and energize the collaborations that could help us have really good visions about what kind of campus life we want to have for students,” Calhoun said.

Buck notes she appreciates the alignment of the Women's Center, LGBT Center and the Fields Center.

“I believe that there is tons of synergy amongst the three departments and their work. I see myself working with colleagues in these units, and others, to envision and develop comprehensive and intersectional approaches to engaging students, while also supporting and honoring the identities and foci of each department,” Buck noted.

Director of the LGBT Center Judy Jarvis expressed, “I’m really, really excited to have a new position established, because I think this person is really well positioned both to be a champion of the identity centers and a collaborator with the identity centers, as well as to convene people across the University.”

Jarvis, who met Buck during one of Buck’s interview sessions on her visit to campus as one of the three finalists for the position, said she believes Buck is an excellent fit for the job.

“In general, in higher [education] and doing identity work, I always wish that I could be in more spaces, have even more connection with people across the University, and so I think in this position — especially this person, Dr. LaTanya Buck — I think will be excellent at being a convener, and drawing together the different diversity and inclusion initiatives, so that we're easier to find,” she said.

Jarvis noted that while before the Centers were under the supervision of the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students, she is excited to have the organization in place to specifically oversee the joint work of all three groups. “It seemed like she had a lot of experience working on difficult issues at her past institutions and doing them really well, making people feel heard, so I think she’s going to bring all of those skills and it’s really going to be a boon to LGBTQ work at Princeton,” she added.

Director of the Carl A. Fields Center Tennille Haynes said in an emailed statement that she is very excited to have Buck join the University and looks forward to working with her on different campus initiatives. “She has terrific experience and will be a great asset to the Princeton community,” Haynes noted.

In terms of the selection process, Calhoun explained that the search committee for the position included several of her colleagues as well as a few undergraduate and graduate students. After reading resumes, the committee selected nine finalists with whom to meet, and from this group of nine they selected three finalists to spend a day on campus and meet with different members of the University, including the directors of the Centers as well as current students.

Calhoun noted that the students and the Center directors played very important roles in the selection process and that she came to a final decision after reviewing their feedback and the recommendations of the search committee.

Buck will be coming to the CPUC meeting and reception on May 2, where she’ll be introduced to the community. Calhoun added that she is looking forward to welcoming her to the University.

Buck attended the University of Central Missouri, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations and her master’s in college student personnel administration. She earned her doctorate in higher education and higher education administration from Saint Louis University.