Developing the Neurology Diversity Officer

Academic Neurology Departments must confront the challenges of developing a diverse workforce, reducing inequity and discrimination within academia, and providing neurologic care for an increasingly diverse society. A neurology diversity officer should have a specific role and associated title within a neurology department as well as a mandate to focus their efforts on issues of equity, diversity and inclusion that affect staff, trainees and faculty. This role is expansive and works across departmental missions but it has many challenges related to structural intolerance and cultural gaps. In this review, we describe the many challenges that diversity officers face and how they might confront them. We delineate the role and duties of the neurology diversity officer and provide a guide to departmental leaders on how to assess qualifications and evaluate progress. Finally, we describe the elements necessary for success. A neurology diversity officer should have the financial, administrative and emotional support of leadership in order for them to carry out their mission and to truly have a positive influence.

Structuring Diversity: Chief Diversity Offices as Structural Responses to a Cultural Issue

Aim/Purpose: Higher education has faced increasing perceptions, mainly by students, of unwelcoming campus racial and diversity climates. As a result, during the past decade, there has been a peak in the inaugurations of chief diversity officers. Yet, little is known about how these offices are established. Background: This study explores and describes the emergence of the chief diversity office at two research-intensive universities. Methodology: This study utilizes a qualitative case study to answer the research questions. Contribution: The study provides new knowledge about the impetuses that prompt the formation of chief diversity officers. Further, the findings inform the higher education community about the establishment of chief diversity offices at two universities that might help institutions inaugurate new offices. Findings: Findings illustrated that the formation of the chief diversity office at these research universities represented structural responses to cultural issues on campus. Recommendations for Practitioners: A recommendation for practitioners is to consider a thorough assessment of the campus climate as a means to prompt the formation of a chief diversity office. The structural attributes of the realized unit should be directly associated with the specific context of the respective campus. Recommendation for Researchers: Recommendations for researchers are to empirically address social identity when examining chief diversity officers and to further investigate job and work attitudes, such as organizational commitment or burnout, in these leaders. Impact on Society: Present day colleges and universities are the most diverse in history. Considering changing demographics, it is important to understand how institutions are structurally responding to diversity on campus. Future Research: Future research might investigate the nuanced ways in which institutions of higher education are inaugurating new offices and appointing new diversity leaders. Considering the distinct aspects of diversity, scholars might explore the salient skills or relevant background experiences that colleges and universities are seeking in these new leaders.