Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Indiana State University values diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. We acknowledge and respect persons of color, persons with disabilities, our LGBTQIAP+ community, our international communities, varied languages, age groups, religious communities, underserved populations, varied socioeconomic backgrounds and many other communities and groups that collectively enhance, enrich and strengthen our ISU Sycamore family. We are proud to be a servant led and student-centered institution!

Our Strategic Plan, Focusing on Our Future Together, reflects our institutional commitment to develop a campus of Inclusive Excellence, to ensure that everyone feels appreciated, respected, valued, and welcome. Whether at our residential campus, hybrid, or through distance education.

ISU graduates are empowered to become conscientious and culturally astute leaders, sharing their skills and talents locally, nationally and internationally. Our vision reflects the integration of critical thinking, cultural competency, and conscientious respect for varied perspectives to empower students to live and work in a democratic society. Our core values reassure members of the ISU community that their role and responsibility is critical to the well-being of our long-term commitment that fosters a shared responsibility that holds the campus community accountable for the progress of diversity, equity and inclusion.

The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging was established in 2016 to support Indiana State University's goal of becoming an inclusive-excellent campus. Indiana State University has a long history of increased diversity on its campus. Representing over 65 countries, our campus community recognizes the importance of maintaining an environment that not only recognizes individual differences, but empowers our community to learn and grow from a culture that embodies inclusive excellence in all of its complexities. 

We offer education, training, and support services, facilitation of cross-campus collaboration, and enterprise-wide leadership to the campus and our community to build an inclusive culture for all students, faculty and staff.

We encourage you to view our Strategic Plan, Focusing on Our Future Together, to learn more about university-wide accountability, goals and objectives that support all members of the Sycamore community.

 

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Values

We value the individuals and groups that make up and represent Indiana State University and the Terre Haute community. We value a community where all individuals, from all levels, can participate, contribute, and have a voice. We value the power of listening and the opportunity that creates when we are open to hear what others have to offer. We value our charge and the stewardship it represents to all in our community. We value YOU!

 

Vision

We envision a university community that reflects the population of Indiana and the nation with respect to students, faculty, support staff and administration and that transcends social and structural barriers to equality. We also envision a university community that understands what is necessary to achieve such a goal and appreciates why such a goal is beneficial.

 

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Contact Us

Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Rankin Hall 419
(812) 237-8954
 

Faculty & Staff Resources

Faculty and staff are at the core of the academic mission and a resource that requires intensive investment of time with respect to recruitment, hiring, and retention. Our Strategic Plan reinforces this point when it emphasizes the importance of attracting excellent candidates to the institution and providing them an environment of support and growth opportunity. The Plan also emphasizes the importance of a diverse faculty and staff, particularly with respect to race and ethnicity that is more highly reflected in our student body.

Diversity is a form of excellence and we can do more to realize it here at ISU. Research is clear – heterogeneous organizations provide numerous benefits and for both majority and minority communities.

Community Resources

Other Resources

Funding Opportunities

Professional Development Support

The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging supports the professional development of faculty and staff.  You can request funding from the department if you plan to attend a professional development activity that relates to inclusive excellence.  To request funding, please complete the funding application below.

Co-Sponsorship

​The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging would love to partner with you in educating our campus on inclusive excellence.  Please just complete the proposal form and let us know how we can partner.  

 

Affinity Groups

Student Resources

Students play an intricate part in establishing and maintaining an inclusive excellence environment.  In order to feel empowered to do your part, it's critical you have a sense of belonging to the ISU campus community.  Between student centers, student organizations, programming and funding opportunities, it is our hope that you find your identity as a true sycamore.

Funding Opportunities

There are two (2) types of funding the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging provides to any undergraduate or graduate student at ISU.  Please use the Internet Explorer browser to apply for either the Together Excellence is Achieve (T.E.A) Funding or the Professional Development Funding.

Together Excellence is Achieve (T.E.A) Funding 

 The T.E.A funding was created to foster collaboration amongst the student body while promoting unity with respect to programming across campus.  In order to receive this funding individual students or student organizations must partner with another fellow student or student organization to create a programming on campus that benefits the entire student body.  The only criteria for the funding is that the individual students or student organizations must meet two of the inclusive excellence categories.  There must be differences in either: (1) race, (2) gender, (3) sexual orientation, (4) citizenship status, or (5) ability status.  The maximum budgetary request is $750.  Applications for the T.E.A. funding can be found below.

Professional Development Funding

The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging supports the continuous professional development of all undergraduate and graduate students.  We will financially support your professional development in the areas of diversity, inclusion, and inclusive excellence.  Application for funding can be found below. 

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Student Centers

Native American

Community Resources

Alumni Associations

Indiana State University's alumni association does an excellent job keeping alumni and friends connected and involved.  Between the variety of events, and selection of clubs, there is always ways to celebrate being a Sycamore.  Please take time to visit the Alumni Associations webpage and stay connected!

Co-Sponsorship Opportunities

Indiana State University's Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging welcomes opportunities to co-sponsor events.  If your event or speaker aligns with creating a culture of inclusive excellence, you can request co-sponsorship from our department.  We look forward to collaborating with you.

 

Inclusion-GiveNow

Contact Us

Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Rankin Hall 419
(812) 237-8954
 

Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Staff

Full EDI staff directory

Executive Director

Dr. Xavia Burton

Administrative Assistant

Linda Hair

812-237-8954

Liasions

College of Arts and Sciences

Dr. Katherine Lee, Interim Chair and Associate Professor

Email: Katherine.Lee@indstate.edu

Dr. Lain Mathers, Assistant Professor Multidisciplinary Studies

Email: Lain.Mathers@indstate.edu

Bayh College of Education

Dr. JaDora Sailes, Associate Professor

Email: JaDora.Sailes@indstate.edu

College of Business

Dr. Milton Soto-Ferrari, Assistant Professor

Email: Milton.Soto-Ferrari@indstate.edu

College of Graduate and Professional Studies

Dr. Denise Collins, Dean College of Graduate and Professional Studies

Email: Denise.Collins@indstate.edu

College of Health and Human Services

Dr. Caroline Mallory, Dean of College of Health and Human Services

Email: Caroline.Mallory@indstate.edu

Dr. Jennifer Todd, Assistant Professor, College of Health and Human Services

Email: Jennifer.Todd@indstate.edu

Cunningham Memorial Library

Mrs. Robin Crumrin, Dean of Library Services

Email: Robin.Crumrin@indstate.edu

Mr. Gregory Youngen, Associate Dean Library

Email: Gregory.Yougen@indstate.edu

Honors College

Dr. Gregory Bierly, Dean of the Honors College

Email: Gregory.Bierly@indstate.edu

Ms. Laura Froelicher - Data Analysis, Communications, and Outreach Director

Email: Laura.Froelicher@indstate.edu

Bailey College of Engineering and Technology

Dr. Nesli Alp, Dean Bailey College of Engineering and Technology

Email: Nesli.Alp@indstate.edu

Dr. Amanda Muhammad, Professor Bailey College of Engineering and Technology and Faculty Fellow in University College

Email: Amanda.Muhammad@indstate.edu

Student Affairs: Residential Life

Dr. Ardell Sanders, Executive Director for Residential Life and Housing

Email: Ardell.Sanders@indstate.edu

Student Counseling Center

Dr. Kenneth Chew, Counseling Psychology Services Director

Email: LKenneth.Chew@indstate.edu

University College

Ms. Hope Williams, Coordinator of Inclusive Excellence and Accessibility Resources

Email: Hope.Williams@indstate.edu

Inclusion-GiveNow

Contact Us

Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Rankin Hall 419
(812) 237-8954
 

Associate vice president selected to lead inclusive excellence

Indiana State University officials have hired an exceptional leader as associate vice president for inclusive excellence and strategic initiatives.

Rana Johnson, Ph.D., comes to Indiana State from Unity College in Maine, where she has served the past two years as the institution’s chief diversity and inclusion officer.

In her new role at Indiana State, Johnson will provide leadership for efforts to develop a campus environment that appreciates diversity in all its forms and will enhance existing initiatives and implement new efforts as required to fulfill the university’s strategic plan. 

“We’re proud to have the most diverse student body of any university in Indiana, and we look forward to Rana working to establish us as a model of inclusive excellence in the Midwest and beyond,” said Mike Licari, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Indiana State.

Johnson started her new role at ISU on September 1, 2019.

“I am honored to be a part of the Indiana State University leadership team, and I look forward to collaborating with President Deborah Curtis and Provost Mike Licari to promote diversity, equity and inclusion across the campus community,” Johnson said."

In her role at Unity College, Johnson collaborated with the institution’s senior leadership to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. She also provided expertise in policy development and encouraged accountability for the institution’s diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice initiatives.

Prior to Unity College, Johnson worked at the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) from 1999 to 2017 in a variety of roles, ending as the senior associate for diversity outreach and special projects. In that capacity, she managed the coordination of the Committee on Equal Opportunities and organized campus visits that included planning and assessment of the Statewide Diversity Policy, student programming and best practices.

Johnson has earned numerous awards for her work and has presented at dozens of diversity and inclusion events. She is a graduate of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Scholars Program and volunteers each year to oversee the Compact for Faculty Diversity’s faculty recruitment fair.

“I am thrilled Dr. Johnson is joining us at ISU after this very competitive search process. Given her long, varied and successful career in higher education and the field of inclusive excellence, I am confident that she will be a great asset to the campus and the community,” said Chris Olsen, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the search committee. “Also, I was particularly grateful for, and impressed by, the members of our diverse and dedicated search committee, who represented a wide range of constituencies on campus.”

Johnson earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Kentucky, a master’s degree in speech communication from Eastern New Mexico University and a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Spalding University.

A native of Louisville, Ky., Johnson enjoys running and cycling.

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Inclusion-GiveNow

Contact Us

Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Rankin Hall 419
(812) 237-8954