Office of the President

Announcing the search for Presidential Associate for Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer

February 15, 2021

Dear Campus Community,

I write to announce that Nicole Butts, Presidential Associate for Inclusive Excellence and Diversity, has decided to leave Cal Poly Pomona to pursue other professional opportunities. Her departure provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the role, its meaning to our community and the outcomes that we desire in alignment with our Strategic Plan. Accordingly, we will begin a search for a Presidential Associate for Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer immediately with an intent to identify an incumbent by this summer.

Fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive campus community is a core Cal Poly Pomona value and continues to be one of our most pressing endeavors. During her service, Ms. Butts’ impact on our campus has been significant. She established and promoted a range of initiatives, programs and events that advanced our goals. From Our Commitment to Action to CPP Listens, these efforts provide an important foundation for our ongoing work toward inclusive excellence.

To ensure continuity, Ms. Butts will continue to advance the work of the presidential associate on a part-time basis until May. Likewise, Ms. Butts and colleagues across campus are coordinating for ongoing supervision of critical diversity and inclusion initiatives. Of note:

  • The Inclusive Excellence Council will continue its work under the leadership of co-chair Dr. Alejandro Covarrubias, Executive Director of Student Inclusion and Belonging, including the launch of the Inclusive Excellence Speaker Series.
  • The Inclusive Campus Survey will kick-off as planned on February 22. Ms. Butts will oversee the survey and initial analysis of the data before the end of her tenure in May.

I want to thank Ms. Butts for her contributions to Cal Poly Pomona and to our campus community. I also share the reminder that the responsibility of achieving inclusive excellence at Cal Poly Pomona does not fall to just one person. We each have the obligation and opportunity — both in our formal roles as students, faculty and staff and individually as members of a university community — to promote a campus climate where all feel belonging and support and are empowered to achieve their full potential. I will be pleased to provide updates on the search as the process continues

Sincerely,

Soraya M. Coley, Ph.D.
President