Andrews University is tied for the most ethnically diverse national university campus. Diversity has long been an integral part of the Andrews University community and conversations, and recent changes have brought that conversation to the forefront yet again. A review of the history of the chief diversity officer position and an exploration of the change that is happening can situate readers as they make sense of some of the reactions that have happened recently, and wonder what may happen next.
To understand the changes that are happening now, it is important to be familiar with the historical context. The position of Vice President (VP) of Diversity and Inclusion was first established in 2017, after years of the Diversity Council, founded in 2003-2004, calling for an establishment of a role like it.
A series of events in the spring of 2017 precipitated the creation of this position. For Black History Weekend (February 9 -11, 2017), a guest speaker came to present for chapel. In his talk, he made comments that some students found to be divisive, and these students complained to the administration. The next week, February 16, at chapel, Provost Christon Arthur apologized for the speaker’s sermon. Many students were disturbed by this apology, as they felt that the chapel speaker had brought up important points that the apology was dismissing. A group of these students organized, and on Sabbath afternoon, February 18, they released a video called #ItIsTimeAU, which was a PSA expressing the concerns and experiences of Black students at Andrews University. That video can be watched here: #ItIsTimeAU. This video rapidly went viral, garnering many views, shares, and comments.
On February 23, 2017, Andrews posted an official response video to the It Is Time video, where members of the administration thanked the students for voicing their concerns, and apologized for Andrews’ history of racial bias, mentioning specific acts that have happened at Andrews. In the video, members of Andrews administration pledged to make specific changes, the first of which was to begin a search for a full-time senior level administrator of diversity.
This search was a collaborative and open process, with a search committee “made up of 13 members, all Andrews University administration, faculty, staff and students, and chaired by President Luxton.” The process also included public presentations to the campus community of the applicants’ vision. The process resulted in Michael Nixon being hired as the inaugural Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, starting on August 1, 2017. During his time as VP, he worked with the administration to develop his position. In August 2021, the job title was changed to Vice President for University Culture and Inclusion, as the first step in a broader vision to expand the office and bring diversity into all the aspects of the university’s mission.
On Tuesday, March 7, 2023, it was announced that Dr. John Wesley Taylor V would be the new Andrews University president following Dr. Andrea Luxton’s retirement. There was a substantial amount of conversation surrounding the presidential election. On March 6, a day before the voting would take place, an article began circulating on social media, prompting discussions on campus about the then president-elect’s potential view on the values of diversity and inclusion, “specifically as it relates to various cultural expressions by individuals of various races and nationalities.”
On April 17, 2023, President Luxton sent out an email announcing that VP Nixon would be leaving Andrews to be the director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Beacon Health System. On May 3, 2023, President Luxton sent an email telling the campus that she and President-elect (at the time) Taylor had worked together, and that “once he is in place, he will start a formal search process to fill the important responsibilities of our Chief Diversity Officer (CDO)/vice president for University Culture & Inclusion that together make up Michael’s portfolio. The current goal is to have a new CDO/VP in place by the end of this calendar year.” Further, Dr. Danielle Pilgrim (known to many as Chap D) was asked to serve as the full-time interim Chief Diversity Officer.
President Taylor has released a statement on diversity, exploring diversity through Biblical references, and stating that “we have made progress here at Andrews University, but there is still more to do.” He concludes the letter with some general commitments regarding intercultural relations, student resources, and representation of diversity, promising that “together, we will use the incredible diversity of our University to inspire and build an exemplary community—united in mission, committed to truth as it is in Jesus, and reflecting the qualities of the family of God.”
On Wednesday, November 22, 2023 around 5 pm–during Thanksgiving break– President Taylor sent out an email providing an “Update on Diversity Officer Search & Thanksgiving Greetings.” Before this email was sent out, a job posting appeared on the Andrews website. In this email, President Taylor asserted his commitment to “affirming and deepening a university community and campus culture that will value and actively support diversity within the context of the mission and values of the University and the Seventh-day Adventist Church.” He announced that the diversity officer of Andrews University would now be an Assistant to the President for University Mission and Culture, rather than the Vice President position that has been the diversity officer since 2017.
This comparison between the job description for the current Assistant to the President position versus the job description for the VP of Diversity and Inclusion (the original name of the VP of University Culture and Inclusion position) shows that there are several striking changes.
A graphic that has been circulating shows a comparison, with the Assistant to the President position in red,slashed text showing what is absent from the new position that was present in the Vice President position, and black text showing what is consistent between the two.
Some have pointed out that “Replacing the title of ‘Vice President’ with ‘Assistant’ has increased fears that there will be a shift in empowerment and autonomy for the diversity and inclusion effort, creating a less influential position that is not institutionalized,” and highlighted that, in the new position, “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) experience/leadership is not required, there are no supervisory responsibilities in chairing the existing Diversity Council, and there is no mention within the position of continuing the Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Center work on campus,” along with no mention of “the stewardship and continuation of a $38,800 grant that Andrews received in 2022.”
There have been many responses to the announcement. On Friday, November 24, the Faculty Senate Executive Officers sent out a form where faculty could submit questions. On the morning of Monday, November 27, a group of students emailed President Taylor requesting a meeting with him to discuss these changes as soon as possible, and obtained a meeting for the middle of next week. On Monday, November 27, a faculty meeting was held, where there was a question and answer session with President Taylor. Beyond these campus discussions, the conversation has widened to various media outlets that have published content on the change, from Adventist Today’s article to Fulcrum7’s work.
Many Andrews students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members are taking action to express their concerns regarding this change. Some alumni are pushing for social media campaigns to voice their thoughts to the Andrews administration. On November 28, a group of Andrews students published a petition to ‘save the VP of Diversity and Inclusion officer position,’ aiming to make the petition a site for gathering the thoughts of those concerned in one place.
For Andrews students, there is a senate-sponsored Town Hall scheduled on Wednesday, December 6 at 7 - 8:30 pm in Newbold Auditorium, where students can ask questions of the Administrative Team at this link. As this Town Hall will take place the week before finals week, a very busy time for students, many students are deeply concerned that they will not be able to adequately express their thoughts to administration, and hope for more Town Halls or other events or spaces after the break to communicate with administration. Other reflections on the timing of the announcement are concerned that the holiday season and winter break will disrupt meaningful conversations about this change.
Knowing the historical context of the VP for Diversity and Inclusion position helps facilitate understanding of the current changes, and sheds light on the kinds of responses coming from various members of the Andrews community.In his first message to the Andrews campus after his election, President Taylor promised to be “accessible and approachable,” and to “listen to your concerns, engage in open dialogue, and work together to address the challenges that may face our community.” Many members of the Andrews community look forward to enjoying this promised open dialogue with President Taylor and his team.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.