Office of the President

The President’s Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was appointed in 2020 to advise campus leadership and report on institutional efforts and actions to ensure inclusive excellence. It is co-chaired by Kimberly Whitehead, chief of staff to the President, and Susan McKay, founding director of the Maine Center for Research in STEM Education and professor of physics.

“The University of Maine is committed to the core values of inclusion, diversity, equity and anti-racism,” said President Ferrini-Mundy in her appointment letter to the inaugural council members. “We must further and operationalize that commitment now. Inclusive excellence is foundational at the university. This is perhaps the most important activity that the University of Maine can undertake at this time.”

The Council’s charge:

Structural Impediments: Identify structural impediments to DEI and consider what must be changed to dismantle and reform. In particular, what positions, realignments of responsibility and other changes are most urgently needed?

Vision and Operations Integration: Evaluate major university planning documents to ensure sufficient focus on advancing DEI values. Suggest processes/timeline if applicable.

Data and Measurement: Consider what data should be collected and reviewed to identify DEI problems and guide its improvements.

Alignment and Resourced: Consider whether our current portfolio of committees, offices, organizations and activities promoting DEI are well aligned and adequately resourced to move us into a transformed culture with Inclusion as the core. Pose recommendations.

Council Members