Only two of the Washington University’s most senior administrators are minorities. The 25-person University Council, the senior leadership of the University that advises the Chancellor on administrative and academic matters, counts one black vice chancellor and one Hispanic executive vice chancellor amongst its ranks.
This is puzzling given the University’s commitment to diversity. That value is seemingly not reflected at the top. In fact, minority representation on the University Council decreased last year with the retirement of former Social Work Dean Shanti Khinduka, an Indian; he was replaced by Edward Lawlor, who is white.
Fortunately, the University has an excellent opportunity right now to diversify its senior leadership. The deanships of three schools-law, business and the forthcoming art and architecture-need to be filled in the coming months, creating three vacancies on the University Council. It would be truly indicative of the University’s commitment to diversity and minority advancement to give these jobs to applicants of color.
With diversity-promoting programs like the Rodriguez and Ervin scholarships coming under increased scrutiny, diversity proponents need supporters at the highest levels of academia. Deans James McLeod and Ed Macias, the two minority councilmen, are ardent supporters of these programs. Though the senior leaders today strongly value diversity, we would be more comfortable with the long-term fate of diversity-enhancing initiatives if more minorities were part of the club.
But also, the University Council could benefit from a more diverse group of people in making its recommendations. One of the principal arguments for diversity coming from academia is that different views, culled from racial and ethnic diversity, make for stronger, more thoughtful policy. Surely the Council, and hence the whole University, could also benefit in this way.