Newly hired chief officer for diversity and equity William Harvey addressed the Board of Visitor's Special Committee on Diversity yesterday, proposing new committees and goals that he believes will help further the University's effort toward tolerance and equity.
Harvey, said that during his first 80 days he met with deans, administrators, and student leaders to assemble a synergetic effort working horizontally with student, academic, and administrative affairs to make the University a more welcoming place for minorities.
Among the administrative moves Harvey proposed was the creation of a Diversity Operations Council made up of members from all areas of the University community. Harvey said he hoped that the group would provide him with a more complete view of the needs of different University constituencies.
Much of the strategy, Harvey said, should be emphasizing and publicizing existing University diversity efforts. He cited the fact that the University Medical Center is the only one in the country with three chairmanships for African-Americans.
In order to better present a competitive image there will be an aggressive assembling of successful University alumni, faculty, and staff of color, he said.
Still, Harvey expressed concern that not all members of the community are exposed to the fruits of the University's existing diversity. To that end, Harvey recommended the expansion of the study abroad program to places like South Africa and other non-western countries.
Another goal of the President's Commission on Diversity and Equity is to increase the amount of business done with women and minority vendors, said Colette Sheehy, vice president for management and budget.
In order to reach this goal Bill Cooper was hired as the Director for Supplier Diversity. Cooper said he would focus on reaching out to minority business owners and developing sustainable, successful relationships with them.
"The biggest problem obstructing our progress was finding businesses owned by minorities that met the needs of the University," Cooper said.
As a result the Commission has tried with some success to lure women and minority owned businesses to Charlottesville by using high-paying contracts, he added.
There has already been a modest increase in the number of women and minority vendors hired by the University, Cooper said, adding that he hoped minority owned businesses would benefit from large pending construction contracts.
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