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OREM — Utah Valley University is hoping two new appointments will help provide a voice to marginalized students and staff.
The university last month appointed TuTangeni DaSheek Akwenye to chief inclusion and diversity officer and appointed Rasha Qudisat as program director in UVU's Office of Inclusion and Diversity.
"At UVU, we have built a nationally recognized Inclusion and Diversity Plan and look forward to DaSheek and Rasha making it even more effective," said UVU President Astrid S. Tuminez. "It is critical to have strong, committed, insightful leaders in these positions who will help all students feel welcome, use resources effectively and create an environment where all can thrive."
In his role as chief inclusion and diversity officer, Akwenye will oversee all diversity, equity and inclusion work at UVU. Additionally, he will sit on all UVU executive committees and will oversee the Inclusion Committee.
"Really, what I'm looking at accomplishing in this position is really just building bridges for all our marginalized groups for students, faculty and staff," Akwenye said.
He added that he is looking to build community and to help UVU be a place where students "can feel at home and feel a sense of belonging."
Akwenye emphasized that he's aiming to build upon the strategic plan that's already in place, but also mentioned that he plans to go on a listening tour to evaluate the current state of diversity, equity and inclusion on campus and hear from faculty, staff and students to identify potential gaps and how the university can improve.
"We just want to listen, we want to learn from (students). We want to see, you know, what struggles (are), what are they experiencing, what good things are happening, what areas of improvement can we be able to bring to the table so that we can continue to enhance on the great DEI work that's already happening on our campus, too," Akwenye said.
Akwenye pointed to initiatives that are already happening on campus as a sign that UVU is headed in the right direction when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Currently, the university has a Foundations of Inclusion workshop, which is available to all staff and students and covers diversity, equity and inclusion work in terms of language and specific plans for individual departments to implement.
Along with the workshops, Akwenye said that UVU has increased its enrollment of students of color from 10% to 20% in the last decade.
A key aspect of Akwenye's new role will be working alongside Qudisat, UVU's program director in the Office of Inclusion and Diversity.
In her role, Qudisat will focus on assessments, analytics and university-wide justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion projects. Her data collection and analysis will guide the university's strategic planning decisions as it continues to build upon the plan already in place.
Akwenye said that he is excited to be in his position and continue working with, and learning from the students, staff and faculty at UVU.
"Coming from Namibia, South Africa as a first-generation student, as an international student and an immigrant, I have lived experiences," Akwenye said.
He added, "I want to be able to help our students, faculty and staff and anyone that comes to UVU know that this is a place for them. This is a place where they belong and this is a place that they can call home. I'm excited to be able to continue moving this work forward."
