Diversity at UNC Charlotte
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) at UNC Charlotte was created in the fall semester of 2020 by Chancellor Gaber as a culmination of (a) the collective and ongoing efforts of engaged members of our campus community advocating for diversity and inclusion leadership, (b) institutional surveys and self-studies among campus stakeholders to identify needs, and (c) a continued multi-year university-wide effort to address diversity, equity and inclusion at UNC Charlotte.
Listed below are key historical moments that have played a role in developing the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. For information on our more recent efforts, visit our Office Progress Updates page.
1965: UNC Charlotte founder, Dr. Bonnie Cone, created the United Religious Ministry, housed within the Office of Religious Affairs
1969: Black Studies Committee, chaired by then-newly hired English professor Ann Carver was established
1971: Ann Carver and Bertha Maxwell (Maxwell-Roddey) helped establish the Black Studies Program–now known as the Department of Africana Studies
1971: Bertha Maxwell-Roddey, UNC Charlotte’s first Black administrator becomes the founding director of UNC Charlotte’s Black Studies Program
1986: Dr. Herman Thomas started University Transition Opportunities Program (UTOP) which is one of the institution’s earliest academic support efforts specifically for minority students
1987: Student Advising for Freshman Excellence (SAFE) program, a peer mentoring program for first-year students, was established within the Division of Student Affairs
1993: The Council on University Community (COUC) was established
1993: COUC develops the “Rationale for Developing a Multicultural Campus”
1994: COUC develops a statement on “Valuing Diversity at UNC Charlotte”
1995: Office of Minority Academic Services (now known as the Office of Academic Diversity and Inclusion) was developed
1996: Former UNC Charlotte student, Joseph Toomer developed a proposal for what would later become the Multicultural Resource Center
1997: United Religious Ministry was changed to Inter-Religious Council
2006: Former Chancellor Phil Dubois launched the Chancellor’s Diversity Challenge Fund
2007: UNC Charlotte presented its first Minority Presence Report
2008: COUC released the first Plan for Campus Diversity, Access, and Inclusion
2013: ADVANCE Faculty Affairs and Diversity Office (FADO) was created by Provost Lorden and led by Dr. Yvette Huet
2016: COUC released its second Plan for Campus Diversity, Access, and Inclusion
2016: Bias Assessment Response Team (BART) was formed
2017: Provost Lorden established the Council on University Community Working Group (CUCWG), a 29-member group led by Dr. Chance Lewis
2017: Peace Haven developed as an interfaith space for prayer and private reflection
2018: Multicultural Resource Center became the Office of Identity, Equity, and Engagement
2019: Lavender Lounge developed as a physical space for LGBTQ+ students
2020: Dr. Sharon Gaber becomes the University’s first female chancellor
2020: The Charlotte Racial Justice Consortium, composed of a partnership between Central Piedmont Community College, Johnson C. Smith University, Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte Campus, Queens University of Charlotte, and the University of North Carolina, Charlotte was selected by the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) as a Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus Center.
2020: Chancellor Gaber appoints UNC Charlotte Professor Cheryl Waites Spellman to serve as interim special assistant to the chancellor for diversity and inclusion
2020: Office of Diversity and Inclusion launched in October of 2020
2021: Brandon L. Wolfe joins UNC Charlotte as the inaugural Chief Diversity Officer