Reigniting Inclusive Excellence

Reigniting Inclusive Excellence Office of Diversity and Inclusion Building Capacity for Broader Impact

Advancing our collective work of making Seattle University inclusively excellent for all requires not only clarity of vision, but also a commitment to building capacity and infrastructure for broader scale impact. In partnership with the President and Provost, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion is growing as a division and unit on campus. As we move forward in the spirit of reigniting inclusive excellence, we are enhancing efforts in several ways, including the realignment of institutional offices under the leadership of the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion along with some new additions. The office is planning for the addition of the Assistant Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion and the University Ombudsperson who will serve our faculty and staff. These efforts, among others, will continue to strengthen the capacity to harmonize SU’s inclusive excellence work across campus and better align institutional values and practice.

Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion

Appointed in September 2017, Natasha Martin, JD is the inaugural Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion at Seattle University. While continuing to teach in the School of Law, she served as Associate Vice President for Institutional Inclusion for the 2016-2017 academic year, as well as co-chair of the university-wide President’s Task Force on Diversity and Inclusive Excellence, 2014-2016. Recently, she completed the American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program, deemed a premier higher education leadership development program, as part of the 2021-2022 cohort. Vice President Martin leads the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in her work with stakeholders throughout our campus community.

What do you wish more people understood about inclusive excellence work at SU? “That at the core, this is change management work—it's a marathon and not a sprint. We only can move at the speed of trust. Inclusive excellence is everyone’s work. The work is led by me but must be owned by others in a coordinated and cohesive fashion. LIFT SU is not merely an initiative, but racial equity and antiracism change management. We are ushering in a paradigm shift and there is room for everyone at the table.”

What has been notable over the last two years since the last annual report? “The nature of the times and what we have endured collectively and individually. Supporting our campus community as we traveled the rocky road of a global pandemic, while witnessing racial reckoning in our country and around the world, continues to inform my leadership. Highlights include celebrating our graduates from our pandemic classes, hosting the first Racial Equity Summit and welcoming our new President.”

Q & A

What are you looking forward to in this next leg of the journey in SU’s aim for inclusive academic excellence? “Beginning to move the needle on some of the key initiatives of Reigniting Our Strategic Directions and LIFT SU. Partnering with the campus community to more deeply align our institutional values and institutional practices. I look forward to Racial Equity Summit 2.0.”

kRead more about the VP for Diversity and Inclusion here

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion Team Members

Special Assistant to the Vice President

In our continued effort to develop and infuse high-impact DEI practices across our institution, Professor Brooke D. Coleman was appointed as Special Assistant to the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion in 2022. She will serve in this role through the 2022-23 academic year and co-leads the work of Reigniting Inclusive Excellence with Vice President Natasha Martin.

Project Manager

Amber Larkin has been a member of the team since 2020. Larkin leads multiple projects for the office, including planning the 2023 Racial Equity Summit and Red Talk Series. She is also in charge of reimagining the office's website design to enhance our ability to share resources and affirm our campus community.

Office of Institutional Equity (OIE)

Jill Moffitt, PhD has served as Interim Assistant Vice President for the Office of Institutional Equity since September 2021. Dr. Moffitt oversees and coordinates the university's response to bias-related complaints, partners with key campus partners to ensure university policies and practices are fair, equitable and aligned with our mission and vision and assists in educating our campus community on equity issues.

Senior Executive Coordinator

Paige Powers joined the office as a Senior Executive Coordinator in July 2022. Powers brings her deep background in diversity and human resources to this role. She is already contributing immensely through her close work with Vice President Martin and myriad campus stakeholders.

Patricia Wismer Professor for Gender and Diversity Studies

Professor Dean Spade was appointed Wismer Professor for Gender and Diversity in July 2021. Spade is a Professor of Law and internationally known author and activist. His latest book, Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next), was published in 2020.

Thanks to Marquinta Obomanu, our dedicated Executive Coordinator (Nov. 2020—July 2022). Obomanu was pivotal to progress and success during her time with us and will be dearly missed.