A Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity

President Kaplan shared a message with the University community that outlined his response to a letter he received from the student leaders of the OrganizeUNewHaven campaign about the recent appointment of Dr. Lorenzo Boyd as the University's vice president for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer. In the University-wide letter, President Kaplan shared his admiration for the passion and conviction of student-led group to impact lasting and meaningful change on campus.

June 24, 2020

Dear Members of the University Community,

Earlier today I received a message from the student leaders of OrganizeUNewHaven and shortly thereafter from others expressing their concerns – even consternation – about the recent appointment of Dr. Lorenzo Boyd as the University's vice president for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer. I admire the passion and conviction of this group, and I felt it would be valuable to share with you some of what I shared with the students in response. The students' main concern was that I did not decide in favor of conducting a national search for this position as they had requested when I spoke with them. A small group of faculty and staff expressed the same concern in a letter to me dated June 19.

As I wrote to the students, I appreciate the conversations I have had and the perspectives the students from OrganizeUNewHaven have shared with me and my senior leadership team over the last few weeks. In those conversations, each of these students made it clear to me that their number one priority was the appointment of a cabinet-level vice president who would oversee institutional efforts around diversity and inclusion. I shared that priority, and have delivered.

In the many discussions I have had, with OrganizeUNewHaven and others, I also made it clear that I was deliberating, and seeking opinions, on whether to perform a national external search or to make an internal appointment for this most important position.

After listening to the diverse viewpoints expressed – and considering the urgency of the situation and the fact that meaningful action has been neglected for far too long – I concluded that it was of paramount importance to fill this position in as prudent and expeditious a manner as possible. Once that was decided, I quickly determined that we had in our midst an individual in Dr. Lorenzo Boyd who I steadfastly believe can effectively impact the change on our campus that is far overdue. His credentials speak for themselves.

It is important to understand that I sought the students' opinions and those of the entire faculty and staff on the search process only. I was never in these discussions seeking input on actual candidates, and only would have done so if I had decided to pursue a national search. I elected to make the internal promotion because of the immediate needs, the challenges of conducting a national search in today's environment – and most importantly, because we had a highly talented and qualified member within our own campus community to lead in this role. It is true that I did not choose to implement a national search for which the group of students with whom I spoke and a small group of faculty and staff had advocated. As I wrote to the students, they should not interpret that as a reflection of how much I value the insight they shared. I acknowledged that we won't always agree on solutions as we navigate this challenge together, but that does not mean that we aren't listening to their viewpoints and working towards a common goal. The same applies to the faculty and staff who supported a national search.

Candidly, this was a challenging decision to make, and that is why I consulted many individuals within and outside the University community, seeking their input. I am confident that I have made the right decision for the University at this point in time, and I have full confidence in Dr. Boyd's ability to lead the kinds of conversations and initiatives that are so badly needed on campus.

Dr. Boyd has indicated to me that he will reach out to faculty, staff and students from across the University to create advisory groups that he will rely on as he takes on the critically important task of overseeing the creation and implementation of a comprehensive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan for the University. Dr. Boyd has emphasized to me that his work will be highly collaborative. I sincerely hope that the students from OrganizeUNewHaven and many of you will assist him as he assumes this new position.

I want to reiterate to the faculty, staff and students who provided me with their strong concerns about my decision to pursue an internal promotion over a national search that I did hear loud and clear their opinions on this matter and fully respect those opinions. I did not disregard their opinions, as some have argued, but I clearly in the end did not agree with them. Those are two fundamentally different things. I am fully committed to ensuring the success of this position, transforming our campus culture, and fostering a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming atmosphere for all members of our community. I hope this commitment to Lorenzo and the work to be done is one the entire campus community shares with me.

As I told the students, I believe we aspire to the same goal in creating a campus environment that we are all proud of. I greatly appreciate their passion and desire to make lasting and meaningful change. I look forward to continuing to partner with them and all of you to advance this important work.

With best wishes,

Steven H Kaplan, Ph.D.
President