U of A Joins CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion Organization

Russell Cothren

Chancellor Joseph E. Steinmetz

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas is among the most recent employer to join the national CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion group. The organization is the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace. It is made up of more than 400 CEOs from around the country – representing major corporations, small businesses, public and private colleges and universities, as well as non-profit agencies of all sizes.

The stated goal of CEO Action is to “rally the business community together to take measureable action in advancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace.”

“Any educational institution that does not strive to reflect the complexity and diversity of our state, nation, and the world, is failing its students and failing its faculty,” said Chancellor Joseph Steinmetz, in a statement to the organization. “I joined this pledge because I believe we must all do a better job of creating welcoming and inclusive environments and expand our definition and views of diversity because it means different things in different areas.”

This commitment to join CEO Action coincided with the Associated Student Governments’ inaugural launch of Diversity Week, Oct. 23-27. 

 “What is especially exciting about Diversity Week is the fact that it is student led,” said Yvette Murphy-Erby, vice provost for diversity and inclusion. “When it comes to promoting diversity and inclusion, many assume that faculty, staff and administrators are the leaders and students are the benefactors. We know that everyone benefits from efforts to promote diversity and inclusion, and we know that students and student leadership are central to our campus success towards a culture and climate of enhanced diversity and inclusivity.“U of A students have a history of promoting meaningful change on our campus and I commend ASG for taking the initiative to conceptualize and implement a way for students to support our campus goals towards diversity and inclusion, she added. “The goal of Diversity Week is for students to learn about, celebrate and engage in efforts to promote diversity and inclusion.   

CEO Action pledge states, in part:

1.“We will continue to make our workplaces trusting places to have complex, and sometimes difficult, conversations about diversity and inclusion.

2.“We will implement and expand unconscious bias education, to enable individuals to begin recognizing, acknowledging, and minimizing any potential blind spots he or she might have, but wasn’t aware of previously.

3.“We will commit to helping other companies evolve and enhance their current diversity strategies and encourage them, in turn, to share their successes and challenges with others.

4.“We also pledge to create accountability systems within our companies to track our own progress.”

All organizations that join CEO Action are asked to provide three examples of actions they have taken to enhance diversity and inclusion. The University of Arkansas’ examples are: the Chancellor’s Commission on Women, the Women’s Giving Circle, and the resource groups established on campus for African-American, Latino, LGBT and veteran faculty, staff and students.

“Becoming a part of CEO Action is more than an important public statement,” said Murphy-Erby. “This organization is a valuable resource for the university. Each of its members has experience promoting diversity and inclusion in their workplace and each have success stories and failures to share with the others. This is a great opportunity for our university to share and to learn.”