By Madeline Fuerstenberg, Community Reporter
Warren Anderson, UW-Eau Claire’s new vice-chancellor for equity, diversity and inclusivity (EDI), has always been aware of the inequities that students of color face in the U.S. educational system.
A Philadelphia native, Anderson said he was drawn to higher education and EDI because he wanted to better understand “the intricacies of historical practices that served to further oppress persons of historically underserved and underrepresented populations.”
Hired in mid-October 2019, Anderson began his position at UW-EC on Dec. 16. Prior to this, Anderson served as vice president for inclusion and diversity and Title IX coordinator at Harrisburg Area Community College in Pennsylvania.
Why UW-EC position was attractive
Anderson, who has a master’s degree in multicultural education, said he was drawn to the position here because it offered him the opportunity to work simultaneously in EDI and student affairs. Both have been significant parts of his professional background, he said.
“I began my career in college access for minority students and moved into student affairs through work in student activities, admissions and retention initiatives,” Anderson said in an interview. “Every position that I have ever worked is rooted in diversity and equity for minority students. This is why I felt that I was perfect for the (UW-EC) role.”
Anderson obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in elementary and special education. He then earned his Masters in multicultural education and urban transformation from Eastern University and obtained a doctorate in higher education and administrative leadership from Widener University.
UW-EC Chancellor James Schmidt said Anderson received a lot of positive feedback following the open forums that were held in October, when candidates for the position were asked to give 20-minute presentations and answer audience questions.
“He’s got an incredible depth of experience at a number of institutions,” Schmidt said in an interview. “On paper he was clearly one of our top candidates.”
Hitting the ground running
When Anderson first took up his new role at UW-EC, he was immediately faced with a campus and community-wide uproar over a racist incident involving the UW-EC football team. Schmidt said Anderson hit the ground running as he had already started to work before his position officially began.
Anderson said he could not have imagined a more complicated start to his new job. His said his initial plan in starting any new position is to sit back and listen to what the “myriad of constituents have to say regarding the culture of an institution.”
While Anderson said he did have the immediate opportunity to speak with faculty, staff and campus community members, he also acknowledged that the racist incident brought forth numerous feelings of hurt, anger, fear and mistrust around campus.
“My immediate and long-term goal for UW-EC is to build an internal and external community that values and respects the differences inherent within us all,” Anderson said. “My hope is that, once we can return to some sense of normalcy, we can begin to gather and work together to forge ahead in a manner of trust and equality.
“I envisioned this incident, and others like it, presenting different challenges for me and the administration,” he continued. “However, the challenges pale in comparison to the opportunities presented to us. I firmly believe that, no matter what lies ahead of us, we will face it on as a united community.”
The ultimate goal
Anderson said it is his goal to see more compassion, patience and accountability around the campus community. He said he would also like to see more engagement in EDI by all members of the university.
Most importantly, Anderson said, he would like to see the university community move forward with the development of the university EDI strategic plan that would encourage students, faculty and staff to work together and create a vision for the future.
“The changes and challenges of this semester have put a few parries in the progress that we are making,” Anderson said. “However, I believe that a plan forged in the face of adversity always stands up better to the future.”
“I believe that the students, administration, staff and faculty truly want to see this institution serve as a model for how institutions should handle adversity,” Anderson said. “I believe that we have the will to do it. I believe that we have the skillset to do it. And, most importantly, I believe that we will do it.”
Importance of EDI
According to Anderson, EDI is important because it forces people to look at institutional barriers that prevent the success and engagement of minorities.
Anderson said the university must be able to integrate the principles of EDI into the curriculum in order to ensure that UW-EC graduates can be successful no matter the environment they find themselves working in post-graduation. That will be the new cornerstone of a college education, he said.
According to Schmidt, 11 percent of UW-EC students are people of color the university faculty should be a reflection of the student body. Schmidt said nearly 25 percent of UW-EC faculty are people of color, which he said demonstrates a clear commitment to EDI.
Despite the EDI efforts put into place, Schmidt said he knows racist incidents will continue on campus. Levels of racism exist everywhere, Schmidt said, and a university like UW-EC is a reflection of society.
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