EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Jessica Harris, PhD, has named Lindy Wagner Assistant Vice Chancellor for Inclusive Excellence, Education and Development.
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Wagner will lead and set the vision for the new Inclusive Excellence, Education and Development Hub (The Hub), formerly the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion (CSDI). The Hub will create and maintain antiracism, equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) training, programming, educational opportunities and initiatives, as well as EDI-related resources for students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members.
Wagner has more than 17 years of experience working in higher education and began serving as the director of the CSDI on March 20, 2020.
“Preparing our students for career and citizenship by providing educational experiences that foster cultural competence and humility, build a community of equity-minded faculty and staff, and cultivate a culture of belonging, is key to SIUE’s ability to authentically carry out its mission, live its values, and achieve a range of institutional goals,” said Harris. “The Hub, under Assistant Vice Chancellor Wagner’s leadership, will serve a critical role in leading and activating these efforts campus wide.”
“I am honored to work alongside Vice Chancellor Harris as she restructures and realigns our campus resources in a manner that continues to move the campus’ goals of equity, diversity and inclusion forward,” Wagner said. “Seeing the CSDI grow throughout the last year, and knowing the growth that will happen in the coming years, brings great excitement for the campus and community. I am thrilled to continue building collaborative relationships across campus, and remain committed to providing students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members the best possible resources to make their campus experiences positive and valuable.”
“Our new division will create spaces where students feel a sense of belonging and understand there are people dedicated to seeing them get through every moment on campus,” she added. “The work we do allows students to not only connect with who they are, but also helps them connect with those around them in deep and meaningful ways. Our division will create space for equity, inclusion and social justice in a way that will impact every individual in purposeful ways.”
Wagner came to SIUE after having served in the Office of Associate Chancellor for Diversity at SIU Carbondale. While there, she provided diversity and inclusion training workshops for faculty, staff and students, as well as student organizations. Her extensive experience in higher education programming, training and development uniquely qualifies her to lead The Hub in this new direction.
Additionally, since January 2017, Wagner has served as an associate for the Sustained Dialogue Institute(SDI), where she provides training to campuses across the nation that allows students to explore race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual identity, religion, age, ability status and other topics.
Wagner earned a bachelor’s in international studies from Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, in 2003 and a master’s in counseling and student development from Kansas State University in 2005. She is currently working on her doctorate in intercultural communication at SIU Carbondale.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides students with a high-quality, affordable education that prepares them for successful careers and lives of purpose to shape a changing world. Built on the foundation of a broad-based liberal education, and enhanced by hands-on research and real-world experiences, the academic preparation SIUE students receive equips them to thrive in the global marketplace and make our communities better places to live. Situated on 2,660 acres of beautiful woodland atop the bluffs overlooking the natural beauty of the Mississippi River’s rich bottomland and only a short drive from downtown St. Louis, the SIUE campus is home to a diverse student body of nearly 13,000.
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