Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
Before our fall semester begins, I wanted to reach out directly to share important news about UNCW’s plan to address new equality policy requirements enacted by the UNC Board of Governors in May 2024. The university intentionally awaited guidance from the UNC System Office, which was received just over a month ago. Members of the university’s leadership team have used the time since then to determine UNCW’s next steps. The information below represents the key decisions and structures that will be included in our full report to the System Office, due Sept. 1.
As you know, the Board of Governors repealed and replaced Section 300.8.5 of the UNC Policy Manual to reaffirm the university system’s commitment to nondiscrimination, equality of opportunity, institutional neutrality, academic freedom and student success. Based on policy requirements and consistent with System Office guidance, UNCW will close the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion (OIDI), eliminate the Chief Diversity Officer position and shift the cultural and identity centers from OIDI to Student Affairs.
Careful and deliberate thought was given to the impact on students, staff, programs and services. Three principles guided our decisions: (1) Comply with the policy’s requirements. (2) Support students’ needs for continued success. (3) Take care of our permanent staff to the best of our ability. Reassignment options were evaluated to avoid a reduction in force (RIF) of affected, permanent employees.
While OIDI is being eliminated and its services reorganized, rest assured that our Chief Diversity Officer, Dr. Donyell Roseboro, will return to the faculty in the Watson College of Education. She graciously agreed to let me share this information about her future, but the university must keep information about other affected employees confidential until details are finalized. They were offered employment opportunities in Academic Affairs or Student Affairs. Please join me in thanking Dr. Roseboro and the OIDI team for their dedication to our students and service to the university.
For many students, the Upperman African American Cultural Center, Centro Hispano, the Mohin-Scholz LGBTQIA Resource Center, and the Asian Heritage Cultural Center provide important spaces for hospitality, student success, mentoring, leadership development, emotional and social support, and campus and community connections. These cultural and identity centers have direct, frequent contact with students, and their physical locations on campus won’t change. Some aspects of their staffing and programming will change to comply with the policy requirements and enhance their fit within Student Affairs. The centers will continue to focus on creating and sustaining a sense of belonging for historically marginalized students while also providing support, service and educational programs to benefit all students.
I know this news may be difficult for some Seahawks to accept and absorb. Change is hard, and it will take time to phase in and fully implement our new operations. It is not possible to prepare a message about such a complex topic that addresses every question that may occur within a community of more than 20,000 students, faculty and staff. For specific concerns, please contact equalitypolicy@uncw.edu.
There is one thing about UNCW that will not change, though, and that is our ongoing commitment to respect, understanding, belonging and support for every member of the Seahawk community. This is an important part of our mission as a public institution, and UNCW will continue to provide an outstanding educational experience for Seahawks from all walks of life.
Sincerely yours,
Aswani K. Volety
Chancellor
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