Dr. Greg Nayor Vice President for Strategic Initiatives

Dr. Greg Nayor
Vice President for Strategic Initiatives

Dear Dr. Moyer and Dean Spicer:

I would like to thank you and the other members of the search committee for accepting my charge to identify a list of acceptable finalists to fill the critically important position of Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Daemen College.

As I have noted many times in discussions and presentations, higher education and the US as a whole is at a crossroads.  We are witnessing a shift in terms of demographics with fewer traditional age students and a rapidly growing population that is more and more diverse.  At the same time, our nation has become seemingly more divided, resulting in greater struggles and an abundance of climate issues.  On our own campus here at Daemen, I want to ensure that all members of our campus community can live, learn, and grow in an environment that is open and inclusive to all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, orientation, place of origin, and/or background.  This is why bringing in the best possible professional to serve as our college’s next Director of Diversity and Inclusion is critical.  And it is with this idea in mind, that I charge the committee with helping me to identify those individuals.

To these ends, I would specifically charge you and the committee to give priority consideration to the following:

  1. Conduct a national search for the most highly qualified individual who will best fit both the key requirements set forth in the published job description profile, with special focus on the unique characteristics of Daemen College;
  2. Give careful consideration to identifying highly qualified under-represented minorities and women candidates among those individuals under review for the position;
  3. Give priority consideration to those candidates with recent experience in similar positions  at institutions of higher education, with special emphasis on those with experience at private, non-profit colleges or universities;
  4. Where appropriate, encourage the committee to proactively contact highly qualified individuals whom members may know and recommend for the position; and
  5. Develop and maintain a website devoted specifically to the search, with links to important information that will assist in the committee’s recruitment process.

Finally, reflecting the importance of your committee and your roles as Co-Chairs, I urge the committee to maintain strict confidentiality regarding all proceedings of the search.  Furthermore, as is typical of leadership searches, all communications from the search committee should come from you both as the Co-Chairs.

Again, I want to thank you and the other search committee members as you begin the critically important recruitment of the College’s next Director of Diversity and Inclusion.