The new Division of University Engagement and Student Affairs is set to combine the Office for Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Division of Student Affairs on May 16.

Vice President for Inclusive Excellence and Belonging Shawna Patterson-Stephens will be the new vice president for the unit. She spoke about the new division at the Academic Senate meeting on Tuesday, April 22.

"We have a tremendous amount of talent here within both units, and it's my priority to ensure that we are taking care of folks," Patterson-Stephens said. "I'm seeing this as a great challenge, but also opportunity to support people that deserve nothing but the best."

The meeting fell on the same day that the 90-day period that the Trump administration gave colleges to end Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programming.

President Neil MacKinnon said the university Compliance and Communications Committee has been tracking the concerns relating to international students, DEI programs and cuts in research funding in higher education. He said it is uncertain whether or not the federal actions impact Central Michigan University.

“Several lawsuits related to the implemented cuts are in progress, but it’s unclear how these cases will play out in court,” MacKinnon said.

He urged the CMU community and, more specifically, international students, to stay safe while travelling internationally.

“Assessing the level of risk international faculty might face if they leave the country, whether for personal or professional reasons, is difficult at this time,” he said. “Factors including the individuals’ country of birth, destination, duration of travel and more may impact their level of risk at re-entry to the U.S.”

* Related content: Departments to merge, create Division of University Engagement
and Student Affairs *

New Vice President for the Division of University Engagement and Student Affairs

Patterson-Stephens will be the new vice president for the Division of University Engagement and Student Affairs. She is currently the vice president for inclusive excellence and belonging within the OIDEI.

She began her career at the university as the multicultural advisor in the Office of Residence Life in Emmons Hall, she said.

“I have a strong background in student affairs, which started here,” she said.

Patterson-Stephens said she believes in CMU students and staff, and she will work hard to ensure they receive good support.

“I think our students deserve nothing but the best,” she said. “The best opportunities, the best co-curricular experiences, opportunities that tie into what they’re learning in the classroom.”

Senator Lissa Schwander said she was concerned that there would be a lack of resources for Patterson-Stephens as she runs this new division. She is concerned Patterson-Stephens will not have adequate funding to run the new division.

“Our DEI efforts are great and under-resourced, and student life (is) probably the same way,” Schwander said.

Patterson-Stephens said while she is very familiar with the DEI services provided by the university, she will learn the services the Division of Student Affairs provides, so she can be as familiar with both offices as possible.

“I’m working with a really talented team of folks,” Patterson-Stephens said. “And anybody that knows me knows that I’m a...tremendous advocate and when I need to speak up, I do.”

Transformation Office is up and running

Three Information Technology positions have been moved to the University Transformation Office at CMU, Transformation Officer Darcie Wilson said. These three positions include the creation of the chief transformation officer, a director position and a business analyist.

Launched at the beginning of April, this new office will provide guidance for different projects that fit the university’s five year strategic plan, Wilson said.

There will steps guiding how the UTO will process and help aid different projects, Wilson said. They include:

Project prioritization: choosing the projects that align with the University’s Strategic Plan
Identifying the goals of a project and finding ways to help achieve these goals
Determining the timeline and resources needed
Analyzing the existing processes being used and finding ways to use these processes to achieve the project’s goals
Communicate the plan with the stakeholders who are potentially impacted.

“The goal here is to utilize our process in an effective way,” Wilson said. “We want to make sure that we are transparent (in) how we’re choosing which ones we will be leading within the office, as well as those that maybe we can consult on or offer guidance to.”

She said the UTO is already working on a few projects such as the strategic enrollment management plan, which will find ways to increase enrollment and retention within the university.

In other news:

The International Student Organization will host the International Cultural Expo at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26, in the Finch Field House. There will be music, dancing and food available from many of the different cultures that comprise the university.
A TEDx conference, hosted by the Student Government Association is scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. May 3 in the French Auditorium. This will be the second time in two years this event was hosted. Limited spots are open, and tickets are available through the SGA Instagram.