DEIB Advancement Committee Charge

The DEIB Advancement Committee is an advisory body to the DFA senior leadership team (SLT), responsible for coordinating and assisting DFA teams in doing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging work more effectively. The DEIB Advancement Committee will: 

  • Help project implementation teams and DFA leaders solve problems in the division related to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging matters;
  • Recommend prioritization of actions in the DEIB Action Plan to the SLT as part of its regular strategic planning process;
  • Generate ideas that continue to advance future and ongoing DEIB actions in the division.
  • Reinforce the need for development of communication plans that keeps DFA employees and the OSU community up to date with progress on the action plan, includes regular stakeholder outreach and engagement points (such as listening sessions), and motivates DFA employees to get involved in the efforts; and execute such a plan on behalf of the advancement committee.
  • Provide a systems approach and guidance to ensure connections, dependencies and overlaps across projects and efforts are identified and communicated with the SLT.
  • Assisting implementation teams with establishing project outcomes that align with DFA guiding principles, the DEIB action plan and OSU’s Inclusive Excellence priorities;
  • Coordinating the progress of implementation teams with the SLT;
  • Offering consultation with implementation teams on data analysis and metrics development as it relates to diversity, equity and inclusion;
  • Reporting on overall DEIB action plan progress across implementation teams to the SLT.

The DEIB Advancement Committee will meet regularly, share meeting summaries via a public website and present an annual progress report to the senior leadership team. The VPFA Office provides a small budget to allow for some in-person meetings and stakeholder engagements, as needed, with prior approval.

Interactions with DEIB Action Plan project implementation teams

DFA senior leaders sponsor specific DEIB Action Plan projects and determine with project teams the specific approach to implementing the recommended actions, including collecting, analyzing and incorporating stakeholder input, establishing metrics and formulating a communication plan.

The DEIB Advancement Committee provides consultation and support to DFA leaders and implementation project teams, based on a work plan determined in advance with the SLT. Implementation teams will seek guidance, share status updates and seek input on metrics development from the DEIB Advancement Committee. Interactions between the groups will include:

  • Consultation when developing project outcomes and metrics related to DEIB actions;
  • Quarterly updates about project status and metrics to the advancement committee from project teams, in writing or during committee meetings. 
  • Advancement committee will share with DFA leaders lists of volunteers interested in serving on implementation teams.

DEIB Advancement Committee Members

Employees representing the division’s various units and employee types will serve two-year terms (fiscal years that begin in July and end in June). Inaugural members’ terms include an additional few months (from initiation through June 2023). Inaugural members who previously participated on the 2022 DEIB Action Planning Workgroup will serve a one-year term, allowing for a staggered rotation of members going forward.

The inaugural committee members for 2023 and 2024 are:

  • Christine Atwood, Procurement Contracts Material Management (co-chair)
  • David Belton, Public Safety
  • Tracy Elmshaeuser, Senior Associate Vice President for Administration Office
  • Mary Joslin, Human Resources
  • Manmeet Singh Khetarpal, Enterprise Project Portfolio Management Office
  • Jessica King, Travel & Expense
  • Keahi McFadden, University Facilities, Infrastructure and Operations (co-chair)
  • Melissa Medina, Human Resources
  • Aviva Rivera, Financial Strategic Services
  • Melanie Rose, Division of Finance & Administration  
  • Shoshana Shabazz, Construction Contracts Administration
  • Stephanie Smith, Travel & Expense
  • Carrie Trant, Capital Planning and Development

DEIB Focus Group

As some initial members will roll off after the first year, this group will serve on the committee in 2024 and 2025. In the meantime, this cohort will assist the formal committee as a focus group and sounding board, and act as unit ambassadors for DEIB work in their DFA units.

  • Maria Davila-Ash, Financial Strategic Services
  • Shar Fagersten, Leasing and Strategic Real Property Management
  • Kevin Hawkins, Public Safety
  • Stefanie Maerki, Human Resources Strategic Partner
  • Maile Moore, Human Resources Recruiting
  • Penny Pinard, Financial Strategic Services
  • Peedo Pituk, Public Safety
  • Robert Sharp, Human Resources Onboarding
  • Monika Watkins, Capital Planning & Development

 

How to get involved

People employed in DFA units are eligible to serve on the DEIB Advancement Committee. Co-chairs are seeking people who want to get involved as focus group members and future committee members over the next few years. There may be other ways to get involved—reach out and talk to us about your interests. Email DFADiversity@oregonstate.edu to get the conversation started.