The Transition Process Merging two institutions that carry more than a century of his-
The workstreams and strategy integration teams began meeting
tory apiece is no small task. At Mills, Vice President for Strategic
virtually this past fall. Most workstreams consist of 12 members,
Communications and Operations Renee Jadushlever is oversee-
with equitable representation from both schools and a variety
ing the project.
of departments and disciplines. Each is overseen by both Mills
Alongside her Northeastern counterpart, Senior Vice Provost
and Northeastern area leaders, with designees to assist the leads.
and Senior Vice Chancellor Mary Ludden, Jadushlever has assem-
Northeastern is also providing five project managers to keep the
bled teams into 10 distinct “workstreams” that will collaborate
work moving.
across campuses to tackle the many questions, large and small, that arise as Mills and Northeastern come together.
College,” Jadushlever says. “I encourage everyone to be curious
The workstreams cover:
and engaged, to think boldly, and to remain focused on the work
Read mor e: mills.edu/ merger
ahead of us, including centering equity and antiracism.” There are more than 100 members of the Mills faculty and staff who are engaged with the transition, with expansion likely as the spring semester gets underway. GREER RI V ER A
• Teaching & Learning • Student Life • People • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion • Accreditation & Compliance • Enrollment Management • Campus Planning • Administrative • Information Technology • Marketing
“I consider this one of the most critical roles I have been tasked with during my time at Mills. This is a consequential time for the
In addition, there are three strategy integration teams that handle areas informing multiple workstreams. They are: • Research • Advancement • B2B (Corporate Engagement)
Northeastern pilots spring social justice program at Mills While the merger between Mills and Northeastern University
Since the September 14 announcement of the planned
won’t be complete until later this year, a new academic pro-
merger between the two institutions, Northeastern officials
gram at the College this spring will get the ball rolling.
have praised the College’s history of social justice activism and
Leading Social Change will commence on the Mills campus during the 2022 spring semester, bringing 20–25 current
advocacy, and in announcing the establishment of Leading Social Change, that legacy was brought to the fore.
Northeastern undergraduate students from Boston to Oakland
“Mills has a long history of programs that focus on social
to learn from Mills faculty members on advocacy surrounding
change, equity, and justice and we were excited to build a
any number of issues. The core of the program is a four-credit
program that will allow students to learn from leaders in the
course called Leadership for Change, with 15 additional courses
Mills community, and in the broader Oakland community
available that cover everything from sociology and business to
as well,” said Chris Gallagher, Northeastern’s vice chancellor
criminal justice and race and ethnic relations.
for global learning opportunities and an English professor, in
Participants will also have the opportunity to attend exist-
Northeastern’s announcement about the program.
ing justice-based events at Mills, including Tech Intersections:
“The Mills Leadership Scholars will enjoy robust engagement
Womxn of Color in Computing (scheduled for January 29;
and dialogue around racial, gender, and social justice topics
see page 10) and Unfinished: Actualizing an Intersectional
with the Mills community of learners and teachers within the
Antiracist Future (dates TBA), hosted by the Center for
classroom and campus,” added Pat Hardaway, the Mills interim
Transformative Action. The students who take part in the
provost and vice president of academic affairs.
program will be dubbed Mills Leadership Scholars, and Mills undergraduates will be able to take advantage of these courses and conferences as well. WINTER 2022
5
