Inclusive Directions

As community colleges continue to be significant in the national landscape of higher education by providing access to education and job training to diverse constituents, conversations about the support for strategic diversity leadership are paramount. Now more than ever, senior leaders must be intentional in aligning strategy with outcomes and guidance in relation to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Leaders must be diligent in pursuing an inclusive excellence agenda and promoting a strategy to support positive outcomes that impact cross-college collaboration that advances education completion and support. This practitioner’s guide will provide timely and relevant insight on the ultimate benefits of strategic diversity leadership to promote inclusive excellence at community colleges. This book offers tangible resources and discusses the role of the chief diversity officer.
This book will significantly benefit those interested in learning more about diversity and inclusion at community colleges and will provide insight into strategic diversity leadership. The book provides an in-depth view of the roles and responsibilities of the chief diversity officer, diversity strategic planning, and examines the various roles of diversity leaders at community colleges.

Clyde Wilson Pickett is a noted scholar, educator, and nationally recognized trailblazer in diversity and inclusion leadership for institutions of higher education. Throughout his career, Clyde has lead diversity initiatives at several higher education institutions, presented hundreds of workshops and lectures on diversity and inclusion leadership, implemented diversity tactical plans to supplement strategic planning initiatives, taught several college courses, and transformed institutions via the transformative inclusion model.

Michelé E. Smith is known as an inspirational leader, practitioner, and scholar that has been dedicated to issues of inclusion and equity for more than twenty years in the academy, the private sector and the early childhood education community. She has facilitated a number of interactive workshops and education sessions focused on issues of inclusion and multicultural education, served as a resource specialist for parents and professionals of young children with special needs and led a number of summer bridge programs for student scholars from historically underrepresented populations.

James Felton is a noted leader, educator, mentor, and scholar-practitioner in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education. Throughout his 19-year career, he has presented over 100 workshops and presentations on leadership and diversity, worked on a number of strategic and campus diversity plans, managed 3 national scholarship and mentor programs for underrepresented students, served as an adjunct faculty member for several institutions, and has partnered with numerous corporate, nonprofit and federal agencies and NGOs to promote programs and initiatives on diversity and social justice.