Search Committee Named for Vice Provost for DEIB

Dear Students, Staff, and Faculty,

We are ready to launch a national search for the next Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging to serve the KU Lawrence and Edwards community.

A fruitful search begins with an active search committee, composed of efficient, diverse, and engaged stakeholders. Jide Wintoki, Associate Dean and Capitol Federal Professor in the School of Business, and Derek Kwan, Executive Director of the Lied Center of Kansas, will co-chair this important effort, and will be joined by committee members who are broadly representative of our diverse campus constituencies. I’m thankful to Jide and Derek for their leadership, and to all committee members for their willingness to serve, and for the experience and expertise they bring to this endeavor.

We’ve created a search page on the Provost Office website that lists all committee members, and will provide updates as the process gets underway. WittKieffer will assist KU in this search.

The Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (VP DEIB) plays a critical role in helping KU to be both equitable and excellent in the programs and services we provide to students, staff, faculty and community members. Working with the Provost, the Vice Provost leads and facilitates our collective effort to promote and celebrate diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging for each Jayhawk at KU. To be successful, our search committee – and the next Vice Provost – will need your help and support. Please provide input to the committee members when requested, and also encourage exceptional colleagues from around the country to apply.

I am confident that our search committee will bring us a highly qualified individual to serve as our next VP DEIB. Our goal is to have the next Vice Provost at KU before the start of the fall semester.

Respectfully,

Barb

Barbara A. Bichelmeyer

Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor