Vice President, Institutional Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging

DePaul University invites applications, nominations, and expressions of interest for the position of Vice President, Institutional Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (VPIDIB). As a dynamic, visible, and entrepreneurial leader, the VPIDIB will provide perceptive vision and strategic direction to help shape priorities, policies, and programming supported by best practices around all aspects of equity, diversity, and inclusion work to advance the mission of the University. This is an opportunity for a skilled and strategic leader to work in partnership with the DePaul community to assess and outline the organizational structures that support the University’s institutional diversity and equity vision.

DePaul University is the largest Catholic University in the U.S., serving nearly 22,000 students. Ranked #137 out of 443 national universities by the U.S. News & World Report, DePaul boasts an array of talented faculty, staff, and students and two world class urban campuses. DePaul has a campus in Chicago’s business district and another in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, providing students access to a network of over 125,000 alumni in the Chicago metro area and thousands of internship opportunities locally and abroad. DePaul offers more than 300 undergraduate and graduate programs in 10 colleges, two of which are conservatories. With over one-third of students from diverse ethnic backgrounds, the University was recently designated as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) and is an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). The international student population at the university continues to grow, making up over 9% of the overall student body, and the faculty and staff at DePaul are diverse.

As a large, urban, Catholic university that has a long-standing commitment of serving first-generation students, DePaul’s mission also includes a commitment of service to the underserved, compassionately upholding the dignity of all members of its diverse, multi-faith, and inclusive community, and promoting peaceful, just, and equitable solutions to social and environmental challenges.

This is an exciting time in the history of DePaul University. The University recently celebrated its 125th anniversary, welcomed its 13th President, Robert L. Manuel, and has been engaged in developing a strategic framework called Designing DePaul that will position the University for global impact and relevance for the future. The University’s Vincentian mission provides a strong foundation for diversity, equity, and inclusion work, which is reflected in the number of professional roles and student, faculty, and staff diversity-related organizations across the campus. The President and the University community see inclusive excellence as a critical component of executing its mission and the educational experience the University provides. Because of this, the partnership between the next VPIDIB and the President, Cabinet, faculty, students, and staff will be critical to achieving the aspirations of the community.

As a member of the President’s Cabinet, the VPIDIB will serve as a visibly engaged and connected leader who brings experience, purpose, and intention to advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging. The VPIDIB will build upon the recent accomplishments and momentum around this work at DePaul while identifying and implementing strategies to address areas where growth opportunities exist. As a transformational, results-oriented leader, the Vice President will serve as an advisor and connector among academic unit heads, faculty, students, staff, and the greater DePaul community.

The successful candidate will bring a demonstrated success of how to prioritize and coalesce equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts across the University for meaningful action, as well as experience advancing cultural change. The Vice President will possess excellent written, oral, and verbal communication skills, bring a global perspective, and build and nurture collaborative and substantive relationships. Further, the Vice President will engage with the campus community in a strategic, inclusive, and transparent way. Candidates must have an advanced degree and a minimum of five years of demonstrated success advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility along multiple dimensions as a senior-level leader in a complex organization.

All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the leadership profile found below.

WittKieffer is assisting DePaul University in this search. For full consideration, c