Advisory Groups and Affiliates

Academic & Clinical Leaders DEI Advisory Council (ACL-DEIAC)

The purpose of the ACL-DEIAC is to:

• Disseminate information on DEI work/activities taking place in the colleges/units;
• Discuss and resolve DEI issues and challenges encountered in the colleges/units, including those related to NSF ADVANCE initiatives;
• Begin building a campus-wide academic and clinical DEI hub;
• Advise and inform on the activities, strategies, and initiatives of ODEI, the DEI Consortium, the Chancellor’s Council for Cultural Diversity, UMSL ADVANCE, and other groups/units; and
• Provide DEI-related professional development opportunities for the members.

ADVANCE affiliate groups:

• Association of Women Faculty and Staff

The mission of this Association is to enable women staff and faculty at the University of Missouri – St. Louis to connect with and empower each other as we work to serve, collaborate with, and support the diverse groups that make up the UMSL and St. Louis community. We will identify, advocate for, and provide opportunities and resources that advance and enhance professional development, wellbeing, inclusivity, and equity.

The Association provides a forum for women faculty and staff to discuss relevant topics, support women’s careers and lives, and generate measures that serve UMSL women and the larger community. It provides vital input to university leaders regarding decisions that affect women across campus and in the surrounding community. It identifies and advocates for women-centered action, inclusive initiatives, and gender equity, and informs policy-making at the university.

• Black Faculty and Staff Network

The purpose of the Black Faculty and Staff Association is to assist the University of Missouri-St. Louis in accomplishing its mission as an urban institution by addressing the concerns and issues identified by Black faculty, staff, and students and to establish an effective line of communication between UMSL administration and these groups; further, to work toward greater participation of Blacks in decision-making processes which affect their well-being.

• Hispanic/Latino Faculty and Staff Network

The purpose of the Hispanic/Latino Faculty & Staff Network is to assist the University of Missouri – St. Louis in achieving its mission while complementing Inclusive Excellence initiatives in UMSL’s strategic plan and its NSF ADVANCE program. The HLFSN provides a university-wide forum for the discussion of ideas and mutual concerns of Hispanic/Latino faculty and staff. This forum serves as a key resource from which the administration can gain vital input regarding policies that affect Hispanics/Latinos across campus. Also serves as a key resource to support and elevate Hispanic/Latino students, and disseminates relevant information enhancing the professional development of Hispanic/Latino faculty and staff.  Contact: Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at odei@umsl.edu.

The inaugural ACL-DEIAC includes the following members. We thank all of the members for their willingness to serve on this important Council.

• Lori Curtis, Undergraduate Program Director and Associate Teaching Professor, School of Social Work

• Cynthia Dupureur, Faculty Fellow for Faculty Success and Professor, Member-at-Large

• Michael Elliott, Interim Dean, Associate Professor, College of Business Administration

• Jaleh Fazelian, Associate Dean, University Libraries

• Miriam Jorge, Allen B. and Helen S. Shopmaker Endowed Professor, College of Education

• Vanessa Loyd, Dean’s Fellow for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Associate Teaching Professor, College of Nursing

• Ed Munn Sanchez, Dean, Honors College

• Matthew Taylor, Associate Dean and Associate Professor, College of Arts & Sciences

• Brittany Wright, Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Assistant Clinical Professor, College of Optometry