Making Differences Beneficial: A Q&A With Smith’s New Chief Diversity Officer

In his first few months on campus, Dwight Hamilton, Smith’s new chief diversity officer, says he has been struck by the dedication students, faculty and staff have shown to addressing diversity at the college.

“I’ve been pleased to see that so many people in our community have a passion and interest in working on these issues,” said Hamilton, who began work at Smith in late February.

A member of the president’s cabinet, Hamilton oversees diversity and equity-related initiatives at Smith. His office is charged with leading complaint investigations, managing compliance and helping to recruit and retain diverse faculty, students and staff.

Hamilton brings a background in both law and education to the position. He spent 15 years in Michigan as an attorney focused on workplace equity issues and also served as a litigator in state and federal courts. Hamilton comes to Smith from a position as vice president of affirmative action and Title IX officer at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich. There, his work on gender equity earned him honorary membership in the Beta Delta Chapter of Iota Iota Iota, the honor society for women’s studies.

At a recent staff forum at Smith, Hamilton emphasized that achieving diversity is not just about numbers, but about fostering a “climate of inclusion” on campus.

“It’s about creating a sense of belongingness, where everyone can feel connected to the institution,” he said.

Here’s what else Hamilton had to say about his work at the college:

What attracted you to the position at Smith?
“Although more colleges and universities are hiring chief diversity officers, there hasn’t been uniformity in the function of that role. I was looking for a place where that role would be supported, and importantly, where I’d be in a position to help implement change. Here, the chief diversity officer is a member of the cabinet with access to the president, which empowers me to advocate for diversity, access and inclusion.”

You’ve cited inclusion as the standard you want to set for Smith’s work on diversity. What does that mean?
“When we talk about diversity, we’re usually talking about the presence of difference. Diversity is valued in higher education because it improves the educational experience of everyone. But without efforts to create an environment where everyone feels like they belong, you’re not going to see the benefits of diversity. Diversity, to me, is not ‘You’re welcome here, but once you’re here, be the same as everyone else.’ I value inclusion. That means creating an environment where people can fully be themselves and make the differences that they bring beneficial to the institution. The updated admission policy for transgender students that the board of trustees just approved is a prime example. Through that policy, we’ve opened our doors wider as far as diversity, but we must work to ensure that the campus is inclusive to transgender students.”

What strategies can be used to create an inclusive campus?
“We have to dig in deeply to understand how our community members experience the college. That’s why I’m looking forward to conducting a comprehensive survey about our campus climate to get a sense of people’s connections to the institution and where we need to make changes. The survey will provide both quantitative and qualitative information through people reporting on their experiences. That data will be used to create action plans to improve the climate. This process will start in the fall with a Climate Task Force that will provide community input for the survey process. The process will continue through the design of a survey instrument tailored to Smith’s unique needs. The actual survey will be done in the fall of 2016 with a report out by interterm in 2017.”

How will you work on issues related to Title IX, the federal rules covering sex discrimination?
“There’s been a greater focus in the past four or five years on addressing and preventing gender-based violence and sexual misconduct through Title IX. Most of the information we receive about sexual violence at colleges reflects what happens at co-educational institutions. There isn’t much attention paid to what happens at women’s institutions. I think we can be a leader in this area. I’m interested in examining what our students are experiencing so we can better prevent and address sexual violence, because women’s institutions are not immune from the culture that enables it.”

What about diversity in hiring at Smith?
“We need to make some improvement in our hiring of faculty and staff. The provost’s office and human resources are working on that, and I’m collaborating with them to create inclusion-ready search committees. The goal is to attract diverse pools of highly qualified candidates for all job openings. If you are not actively searching for all qualified candidates, including those from underrepresented groups, you are not truly considering all of the best and the brightest. You also have to consider how implicit bias can adversely affect your recruitment and selection process. There have been a number of studies showing how bias can harm job searches. In one study, a mock candidate was created, and identical resumes were divided into two stacks under two names—Brian and Karen—that were then sent out in applications for faculty positions. The only difference between the two candidates was the gendered name on the resume. But Brian got more calls for interviews by a two-to-one margin. Again, the only difference was gender, so why was Brian considered a more attractive candidate than Karen? It wasn’t on merit. The challenge is to identify how and why biases creep into the selection process so that we can inoculate the search committee.”

How do you define the role of chief diversity officer?
“I am responsible for advocating for transformational change. I think my office is somewhat unique in that it truly belongs to every individual on campus. My view of diversity is a global one that includes race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, pregnancy, religion, veteran status, etc. At some point, everyone falls into an identity that may come up against a barrier to their full participation. My role is to identify these barriers and to advocate breaking them down. My mentor at Grand Valley, Wendy Wenner, shared with me the importance of always considering who is not sitting at the table. ‘Who is not being represented, and how do decisions affect them?’ That’s the lens I use in my work.”

Is there a particular challenge in addressing diversity at Smith, which has a history of leading on social justice issues?
“There is a barrier in thinking that our work is already done. By any objective measure, we have a diverse student body. The question is how connected are our students to the opportunities and the traditions of Smith? Access to education is a huge issue, because education is the greatest tool for providing opportunities. Nelson Mandela said ‘Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.’ Our students will indeed change the world. I want to ensure that all of our students have full access to the educational experience that Smith provides, both in and out of the classroom.”