Small Campus, Big Issues: Leading the New Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

Abstract

Following public outcry surrounding George Floyd’s murder in 2020, President Blakeley Alexander of Small Midwestern College established the institution’s first diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) committee. After nearly a year, the two cochairs and eight committee members found themselves split into opposing factions amid the remote work challenges of COVID-19. The committee reached a tipping point when one of the two committee cochairs—also the Vice President (VP) of student services—inadvertently sent an email to the DEI committee, resulting in broken trust and demoralized spirits. Significant intervention is now required to right the ship, create an environment of trust, and move the committee forward.