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MAIRIN MCCARTHY | STAFF REPORTER | mkmccarthy@butler.edu 

14 months after its creation, the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)’s goal is to thoroughly support student organizations, initiate programming and engagement and strengthen campus fellowship. The DEI division was instated in July 2023 to support an inclusive campus environment that will ensure the prosperity of all Butler community members. 

The division’s annual report overviews demographics and student data, an updated DEI strategy and additional objectives for the future. This information provides insight into campus community advancements and cites areas for improvement. 

The report details steps the university is taking to create an intentionally inclusive, equitable and diverse working and learning environment. This includes prioritizing five initiatives to shine brightly throughout the 2024-25 academic year: attract and enroll students and hire faculty and staff from marginalized and underrepresented backgrounds and identities; support and retain students, faculty and staff from marginalized and underrepresented backgrounds and identities; cultivate connection and belonging for a diverse body of students, faculty and staff; foster DEI learning and development; and enhance DEI campus and community engagement. 

The Compass Center, Efroymson Diversity Center and Hub for Black Affairs and Community Engagement were integrated into the division at its inception and have been positively impacted by the division changes instated in July 2023. 

The Compass Center — formerly known as the Center for Faith and Vocation — is a campus space that supports students, faculty and staff of all spiritual, faith-based and secular identities. The Compass Center’s name was altered in April 2024, allowing for more inclusivity following misunderstandings regarding the definitions of “faith” and “vocation.” The group has pioneered multi-faith working groups, collaborated with campus initiatives and hosted inaugural holiday meal gatherings since its shift to the Division of DEI in the summer of 2023. 

 Daniel Meyers, the director of the Compass Center, is pleased with the center’s transition into the DEI division and the opportunities now available for the campus community.

“Our work [is] bringing folks of religious and secular traditions together in interfaith conversation,” Meyers said. “We found through focus groups, some were assuming the word faith was Christian-specific, so we wanted to upheave that assumption and talk a lot more about meaning, purpose [and] exploration.”

Meyers also conveyed his appreciation for recent staff additions and the transition to recognizing religious and secular observances.

“Having people on staff who focus specifically on traditions is new for us in the last 18 months,” Meyers said. “Having holiday conversations, meals and events from the institution, rather than from a student organization, [is a] shift that I’ve been trying to move us towards for a while.”

Along with the Compass Center, the Efroymson Diversity Center has focused on community growth for students, staff and faculty. 

Mikala Lain, assistant director of the Diversity Center, is proud of the Diversity Center’s recent expansion and furthering support for Butler students in the past, present and future. 

“[In] the last year, we had a lot of big wins in the [Diversity Center],” Lain said. “A lot of it had to do with both expansion [and] trying to maintain quality and individual support with our students. We went from having one full-time staff member and three part-time to now having three full-time and four part-time [staff members].”

These staff increases have allowed the Diversity Center to grow the Morton-Finney Diversity Scholars and Butler Blue Scholars programs. This newfound support has also provided student organizations with more support in event planning, campus involvement and student engagement.

Junior biochemistry major Rebecca Hoff is the vice president of engagement for Diversity Program Council and noted that the Diversity Center and division of DEI have become more prominent in organizing student events. 

“I’ve noticed that the [Diversity Center has] taken a huge role in helping promote [and plan] events,” Hoff said. “A great example would be [events for] Hispanic Heritage Month … it’s been really nice [that the DEI division] has taken this role where they put on events and [Latinx Student Union] can focus more on celebrating and enjoying the parts of their culture, [instead of] championing the entire month by themselves.”

Additionally, the Hub for Black Affairs and Community Engagement will now be overseen by the Division of DEI, Academic Affairs and the Hub’s advisory board. The Hub will continue to be administered by Alexis Newell, the full-time program and administrative coordinator, as well as three faculty co-directors — Dr. Teigha VanHester, Dr. Charlene Fletcher and Dr. Corey Reed.

Danny Kibble, senior executive director of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and engagement, contributed to the descriptions and organizational aspects of the annual report. Kibble recognizes the advancements in collaboration and leadership that the DEI division has provided to the Diversity Center and other campus efforts.

“There have been tremendous efforts to boost our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on campus,” Kibble said. “Being an official division and intentionally working with each other [allows us to] advocate for each other and represent each other at meetings.”

Kibble recognizes the importance of the report and how growth and change are not far from becoming reality. 

“Reading that report [excites me] because you can see how we are making steps [to reach] this many students, reaching this many faculty and staff,” Kibble said. “This is happening. And that’s the exciting part about the information in that report is that we’re not just talking the talk, we’re walking the walk.”