Assistant Vice-President for Diversity and Equity Katrina Myers Caldwell spoke on diversity at the vice chancellor open interview session. (Photo by Kamera Griffin)
Memphis-born Katrina Myers Caldwell is excited for the chance to come back home South. She’s spent her last 24 years above the Mason-Dixon line, teaching classes and managing programs at universities across Illinois.
Now, she wants to be the first Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Community Engagement here at Ole Miss. Caldwell is the last candidate to interview for the position.
Caldwell is the assistant vice-president for diversity and equity at Northern Illinois University, where she’s been since 2012. Before that, she directed the Center for Intercultural Programs and Adult Student Affairs at DePaul University in Chicago.
As she started her presentation, Caldwell defined the words in her own job title. A lot of the time, she said, broad terms like “equity” and “diversity” can lose their meaning.
“You need to know what you’re trying to address,” she said. “Equity is about removing barriers for those who have been marginalized by our community, diversity is about inviting all students to apply to join our campus.”
She said she wants to make all students, prospective or enrolled, feel like Ole Miss is a welcoming place.
Growing up in Memphis, her mother told her she could’t apply to Ole Miss because of the issues surrounding race and diversity. Caldwell said that this time around, her mom pushed her to apply for this position.
“What I’ve read and heard about this institution and the work that you’re doing, I want to be a part of that,” Caldwell said. “It takes people to make change happen and, from what I’ve seen, I think you’ve got the people here.”
Caldwell said she knows how important people are to a big university. She said she cares about the faculty she hires and works hard to get to know her students.
Caldwell said that change can come from kids telling a story in a hallway, and it’s important that students use their voices.
“I do approach things from a story,” she said. “I start with a story first. It’s the best way I learn, so I use it as a tool.”
Sophomore public policy major Jarrius Adams attended all four open forums. He said he’s walking away with a much better perception of diversity, and got a lot out of the open process.
“I really felt like the university cared about what the students feel,” Adams said. “And you know I love me some educated African American women.”
Caldwell took time at the end of her presentation to ask the student audience what steps Ole Miss needs to take in terms of diversity. Two students said they felt the administration’s changes haven’t done much.
Caldwell said change will take time, and said people like her don’t do diversity work to make an immediate mark. The scope is long, and the path is rough.
“It’s an exciting time,” she said. “I’m old enough to know historically we’re in a great opportunity and we can’t miss it. We’ve got to do the tough work and not take the easy pass.”
