President Sabah Randhawa has appointed Jacqueline Hughes to lead Western’s newly created Office of Equity as the university’s first Chief Diversity Officer, overseeing policies and initiatives to enhance diversity and equity in campus culture, policies and practices.
The Office of Equity bridges two complementary areas—compliance, and community education and development—and oversees policies and initiatives that promote a learning and work environment where accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) are valued and integrated in both daily work and long-term planning.
“Western has made great strides and committed substantial resources, and I see impressive progress, evident in the number and variety of ADEI programs across all divisions,” Hughes said in a message to campus. “As I have observed, there are opportunities to further integrate our work and to align our ADEI programs and initiatives with institutional goals.”
Hughes, who has worked in leadership roles related to inclusion at California State University San Bernardino, has extensive experience in applying the principles of access, diversity, equity and inclusion in a complex university environment. Before joining higher ed administration, Hughes led teacher education programs at CSU Bakersfield.
Click here to learn more about work at Western to establish the Office of Equity.