In this video post, I discuss Chief Diversity Officers (CDO) standards of practice and introduce the NADOHE (National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education) Standards of Professional Practice for Chief Diversity Officers in hopes of advancing the discussion of professionalism and efficacy of integrating an articulated vision for diversity into our respective organizations. I've also gathered a few helpful resources for those looking to explore this topic further:
- National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) – Standards of Professional Practice for Chief Diversity Officers: NADOHE has developed CDO standards to increase professionalization of the CDO in higher education institutions. These standards encompass a broad range of knowledge and practices that are reflected in the work of CDOs, and provide guidance to help clarify and specify the scope and flexibility of the work of the Chief Diversity Officer: http://www.nadohe.org/standards-of-professional-practice-for-chief-diversity-officers
- Creating a Competency Model for Diversity and Inclusion Practitioners: This report sets out a new and unique competency model for 21st century Diversity & Inclusion practitioners: http://www.conferenceboard.ca/e-library/abstract.aspx?did=2553 (Right-click "Save Target As" to download a copy of the report here)
In the meantime, I want to hear from you:
Do you think there should be standard practices or a toolkit that all CDOs should have to do their job? Or should we just do our own thing?
I look forward to your responses below*, and I'd love your input.
*Note: You will need to register for an Institutional Diversity Blog account in order to comment, but you can get started right away by clicking here, or visiting our FAQ page for more help. Also, check out this video on "Registering for an Account on The Institutional Diversity Blog".
I'm not sure about standard practices because so much depends on where on the path to inclusion an organization is at and what structures, resources and levels of commitment exist. A toolkit may be useful, so that practitioners can find resources to give them ideas and help to achieve specific goals. What may also be useful, particularly in Canada, is a set of core competencies for CDOs. Too often, individuals are hired as figure heads, hired because they represent a specific demographic, and not much attention is paid to their expertise to do the work.