Earlier this year, in response to inquiries from 1819 News, Samford University scrubbed references to its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs from parts of its website.
Supporters of the university and board members were told emphatically that the school does not have an active diversity, equity and inclusion program, and the university's president called their programming "Biblical Justice." However, a job posting last week contradicts these claims by specifically seeking a candidate with DEI training and experience while indicating that their job responsibilities will include campus programs, including one focused on DEI.
The job posting for a "Program Coordinator, Student Success and Diversity" was advertised on July 14 via the school's job posting board hosted by SchoolJobs.com. Jobs are advertised with tags indicating the office or department to which they are assigned. This job was tagged as part of the "Diversity Task Force Initiatives."
The school's DEI program came from its Racial Justice Task Force. In their final report, the task force stated that one of their goals was "the inclusion of concepts of race, racism, justice, equity, and racial justice as permanent and easily recognized components of the curricular experience for all Samford undergraduate and graduate students."
Many of the responsibilities outlined in the current job posting align with the Racial Justice Task Force recommendations and early versions of its Diversity Action Plan.
According to the report, "As of April 2023, over 90% of the expected initiatives have either been completed or in Progress. Fourteen percent of them have been completed, and 77 percent are In Progress. However, 7 percent have not been started as of this reporting period."
Following an inquiry from 1819 News about the status of its Diversity Action Plan initiatives, Samford University deleted this document from its website.
The screen capture below shows the job listing, which was deleted shortly after 1819 News contacted the school for comment for this story. 1819 News sent a subsequent email to ask if the position had been filled. The school has not responded to either request.
Although it has been removed from the school's site, it remains on external job sites, including Zip Recruiter.
Among the job duties of the position are:
- Plan, direct, and implement university-wide heritage month programming, including Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Women's History Month, Native American Heritage Month, Asian-Pacific Islander Month, MLK Day, and Juneteenth.
- Plan and coordinate events and host training courses for students that promote multicultural awareness.
- Have oversight of the Multicultural Organization Counsel.
- Support and advise student cultural organizations such as the Black Student Union, Latino Student Organization, National Pan-Hellenic Council, DREAM, and other organizations.
- Assist with the Office of Diversity at admission events and programming, including Bulldog Days and Preview Days.
- Manage the Diversity Ambassadors program, including recruitment, training, and mentorship of student leaders who represent diverse initiatives on campus.
- Lead planning and execution of Lead with Love Week and monthly series.
- Collaborate with campus partners, faculty, and student organizations to enhance multicultural engagement and leadership opportunities.
- Support the Assistant Director of Multicultural Student Support and office responsibilities as needed.
- Demonstrate excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills to foster collaboration and engagement.
According to its website, "Samford University Diversity Ambassadors are committed to learning about and sharing the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Diversity Ambassadors (DAs) also serve as a key resource to underrepresented prospective students who desire to learn more about the Samford before, during, and after the admission process. The experiences and information shared by our DAs serve as integral pieces to prospective students' navigation of the university as well as learning more about unique opportunities for underrepresented students on campus."
The job posting lists "at least one year of experience in roles supporting high school or college students, with a preference for experience in diversity and inclusion initiatives," as a qualification, and prefers candidates to "Possess relevant certification or training that demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of diversity and inclusion principles."
The university added the following disclaimer to its updated Diversity Action Plan following 1819 News' ongoing investigation into its DEI practices, "Office of Student Success and Diversity will work in concert with the University's general counsel and Human Resources departments to assure compliance with all local, state, and federal laws and to maintain consistency across, and where appropriate in subordination to, University approved policies and plans."
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