Shepherd University students, faculty, staff, as well as university leaders, raise cultural awareness and provide valuable resources to the university and community. Our inclusivity teams address the growing needs of intersectionality and intentionally nurture a culture where everyone feels respected, valued, and free to bring their whole selves to campus.
Dr. Chiquita Howard-Bostic reports to the president in her associate vice president role and serves on the Executive Leadership Team of the institution. Howard-Bostic is chair of the Diversity and Equity Committee and participates in university strategic planning in the areas of diversity, inclusion, and social justice. Dr. Howard-Bostic is dedicated to a greater investment in time, resources, and courage to make progress at Shepherd on creating an inclusive environment.
Working collaboratively with the Office of University Communications, Division of Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and Office of Human Resources, Howard-Bostic participates in developing communication strategies, employee and student training, and web resources to support diversity, inclusion, and social justice. She serves as the primary educator for the university on social equity issues, including the orientation of new students. She also works with the Office of Human Resources to integrate diversity best practices into institutional employment and workplace practices and has prepared institutional programming, including faculty and staff training programs in developing cultural competencies and cultivating, rewarding, and retaining future leaders from diverse backgrounds.
Howard-Bostic and the diversity and inclusion leaders at Shepherd are responsible for reviewing, revising, and creating university policies addressing discrimination, harassment, and violence and contributing to the maintenance of a database of statistical, demographic, and subject matter data related to civil rights, social equity, and compliance.