Season’s Greetings and Annual Report from the Chief Diversity Officer

Dear Students and Colleagues,

As we enter into the holiday season, I am celebrating my third year as Chief Diversity Officer. I don’t use the word “celebrating” lightly, because the struggle has been real for all of us through the COVID-19 pandemic. I am grateful for the support from so many Drexel students, faculty and professional staff members who have joined me on this journey, and I want to extend the warmest holiday wishes to you all.

The end of another calendar year is always a good opportunity to reflect upon the achievements we have made together, while acknowledging the work that remains to be done. And so I am pleased to share with you the inaugural annual report of the Office for Institutional Equity and Inclusive Culture.

When I started as Chief Diversity Officer, I had a slow and deliberate plan for my role and for the office (then known as the Office of Equality and Diversity), but the racial reckoning that came to a boiling point in late spring 2020 required a bigger, more immediate approach. One of the most uncomfortable parts of this journey is the critical self-examination that needs to happen if we are to succeed. It’s like stepping on the scale to see if that number has moved. Not many people enjoy doing so unless it’s moving in the direction that you want it to go. As a university, we have done it with the Anti-Racism Task Force’s assessment and report, and our ongoing efforts to implement the University’s anti-racism commitments. We also continue to unpack why certain identity groups at Drexel do not feel a sense of belonging and to create spaces for frank conversations about often uncomfortable issues. Last year, we launched our first diversity, equity and inclusion climate survey, and we’re using that data to identify more opportunities for enhancing our climate and sense of belonging on campus.

As we travel this journey, we will continue to grow and stretch ourselves. We will continue to hear stories and collect data to measure our success and to develop plans of opportunity for the University. And we will continue to celebrate our achievements towards building institutional equity and inclusive culture. Thank you for your partnership in this work.

Happy Holidays!

Kimberly J. Gholston
Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer