The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) is seeking applications for the position of Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The institution seeks a strategic, transformative, collaborative, and inspirational leader, who has the strength to articulate an agenda, the ability to achieve goals, and strong interpersonal skills to work with individuals and groups in a manner that results in positive interactions and lasting cultural change.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee offers a comprehensive and professional education at undergraduate and graduate levels across 15 schools and colleges to its more than 24,000 students on three campuses (83% of whom are from Wisconsin), which include two 2-year campuses in nearby Waukesha and Washington counties. UWM has achieved high standards in its unique role as the only public, urban, access and research university in Wisconsin as noted by its R1 Carnegie Research Classification and Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement. With approximately 200,000 alumni, UW-Milwaukee has a $1.5B impact on the state economy and produces about 5,300 graduates a year who fill jobs in high-demand fields including architecture, business, computer science, education, engineering, health care, information technology, urban planning and water. The Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion reports directly to the Chancellor and is the chief executive and administrative officer for the planning and execution of all university policies, programs, and initiatives that directly relate to diversity, equity, and inclusion matters, as well as providing support and guidance to infuse diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into university operations. The position leads the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which has 17 staff members and a nearly $2M budget, and includes the following units:

• Equity/Diversity Services
• McNair Scholars
• Multicultural Student Centers
• American Indian Student Center
• Black Student Cultural Center
• Roberto Hernandez Center
• Southeast Asian American Student Center
• Panthers Foundation for Success
• STEM-Inspire Program
• Student Parent Success Program (SPSP)
• Study Abroad Diversity Scholarship Program

Vice Chancellor’s Office, including new positions in these areas:

• Cultural Change
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• 2030 Action Team efforts

Duties also include:

• Provide institutional leadership and support to the chancellor’s cabinet and deans in the integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion work within all functional areas; serve as a strategic resource to the chancellor, chancellor’s leadership team, deans, shared governance and other campus contacts for diversity-related, equity-related, and inclusion-related programs, initiatives, activities, resources, advice, counsel, including measurement and progress toward goals.
• Lead overall management and planning for Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, including personnel, programs, space, and budget, consistent with the university policies and procedures.
• Assess, monitor, support and continuously improve the DEI Framework and Action Plan to ensure advancement of institutional and school, college, and division goals.
• Establish effective alignment, collaboration, and communication between UWM schools, colleges, and divisions to achieve institutional and unit goals.
• Proactively lead and implement cultural diversity, equal opportunity, and affirmative action policies, programs and outreach in partnership with institution leaders.
• Provide support/technical assistance, accountability, and best practice modeling.
• Coordinate and ensure UW System, state, and federal compliance of investigation and resolution processes as they relate to sexual harassment and other protected class discrimination complaints and affirmative action and civil rights review and reporting.
• Develop working and maintain strong relationships with organizations that represent or support diverse and underrepresented groups in the region and state to achieve objectives of mutual interest. This will include the MMAC Region of Choice initiative, among others.
• Work with communities of color and leaders of sovereign nations to support educational and cultural needs of diverse student populations.
• Serve as administrative liaison to the UW System on system-led initiatives and to community partners for community-based initiatives.

In addition to the duties and responsibilities above, the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion works closely with other campus leaders to support large scale efforts and compliance in the following areas:

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and student-centricity efforts as outlined in the 2030 Action Team, Moon Shot for Equity initiative and other institutional plans.
• Collaborate with university leaders to ensure campuses are radically welcoming, inclusive, and success-oriented environments for students.
• Strategies to advance student access, persistence and retention and completion, particularly for those at-risk and under-represented students to support UWM’s goal to eliminate the equity gap by 2030, among other goals.
• Recruitment, selection, and retention practices designed to achieve diversity-related goals.
• Training programs and opportunities to increase cultural competency, diversity, inclusion, equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, and compliance.
• Enhancement of university contracting practices to include the development and expansion of supplier diversity program(s).

Minimum Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree.
• Five (5) years of successful and progressive leadership experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion-related efforts in a large organization.
• Experience in a senior management role and proven ability with budget preparation, planning and resource management.
• Experience in successfully leading, communicating, and executing wide-scale organizational change in a large organization that serves a diverse population.
• Evidence of excellent critical thinking, writing, speaking, and interpersonal and intercultural communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree.
• Evidence of administrative leadership experience within a higher education institution or system, preferably large and public serving a diverse population.
• Evidence of successful work experience with meeting legal compliance requirements.
• Experience in the successful development, implementation, measurement, and evaluation of metrics to meet goals.
• Evidence of successful work experience with faculty in a shared governance structure, preferably at a higher education institution.
• Demonstrated ability to foster participation of others and to work effectively and collaboratively with communities, students, faculty, staff, senior administrators, and board/regents.
• Evidence of organizational skills and innovative approaches to problem-solving.

Interested candidates should submit a letter of application detailing how they meet the required and preferred qualifications, curriculum vitae or resume, and the names and contact information for five professional references. UWM will not consider paper, e-mailed or faxed applications. In instances where the Search and Screen Committee is unable to ascertain from a candidate’s application materials whether they meet any of the qualifications, they will be evaluated as not meeting such qualifications. Please note this is a continuous recruitment with an initial review date of 10/25/2021. Applications received after 10/24/21 may not receive consideration. The desired start date is January 3, 2022.

AA/EO Statement

UWM is an AA/EO employer: All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, or protected veteran status.