A Vacant Seat in the Office of Equity and Inclusion

Photo by Elmhurst University

Over the summer, Vice President of the Office of Equity and Inclusion, Bruce King, quietly left his position at Elmhurst University. With little fanfare surrounding his departure, and no official announcement from EU, the students who relied on him — and the work of his office — were left in the dark.

Borne from the lingering uncertainty surrounding King’s departure, The Elmhurst University Student Collective, a group of student representatives and leaders from various multicultural organizations on campus, stepped forward looking for answers.

Their mission, “To foster a supportive and inclusive campus community by collaborating with one another, and advocating for the needs and voices of minority students,” drove them to request a meeting with the administration to discuss their concerns.

The collective — initially proposed by Leader staff member Chris Guzaro-Cruz, but later headed by SGA’s Senator for DEI, Nataly Funez Alvarez — held a closed meeting on Monday, Sept. 15, with Assistant to the President for Belonging and Inclusion, Alexander Blumenberg, and Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Phillip Riordan. (Though Guzaro-Cruz was instrumental in the planning of this collective, he did not contribute to the reporting on this story.)

The collective went into the meeting with two main points to drive home. Firstly, the position of Vice President of Equity and Inclusion must be replaced. Secondly, that communication is key, and there’s been a “lack” of it as of late.

“It’s disrespectful to us, and the student body as a whole, that the university didn’t release an official email letting us know, and saying that DEI still matters,” Guzaro-Cruz said about the silence surrounding King’s departure.

In the days following the meeting, President Troy VanAken sent an email to students, faculty, and staff outlining the importance of belonging and inclusion at EU.

“At Elmhurst, we strive to live our mission and values every day,” said VanAken. “It’s a continual process as we work to build the kind of environment where our students can thrive, and where everybody feels welcome and that they belong.”

VanAken also introduced students to Alexander Blumenberg, senior director for community partnerships and first-year admission, who he has asked to serve as Assistant to the President for Belonging and Inclusion.

“Fostering an environment of belonging and inclusion is about more than one role or one office,” VanAken emphasized. “Even as we’ve expanded the number of campus positions focused on equity and inclusion from one to six, it’s important to remember that each of us has a part to play.”

While each of us may have a part to play, students were still left wondering about King’s departure.

Representatives from EU disclosed to The Leader via email that while the university typically does not comment on personnel matters, King announced his departure from his position in the Office of Equity and Inclusion via a message to faculty and staff in late June.

This message does not appear to have been shared with the student body, many of whom “panicked” when they returned for the new year and noticed King’s absence.

“We got stressed when we came into school and didn’t see that position anymore,” Guzaro-Cruz said of the silent parting of ways, harkening upon the students who had gotten to know King over the last few years and still sought out his guidance.

King did not respond to The Leader’s requests for comment, but in his resignation email sent to staff on June 19 of this year, he outlined his thought process in more detail.

“In this current season of my career, I hear a calling that leads me beyond the borders of Elmhurst University and my current role at the institution,” King said. “This has not been an easy decision, but one that was inevitable if I want to continue my commitments to myself, my profession, and future.”

King went on to discuss some of the accomplishments of his work in the Equity and Inclusion office, including establishing EU as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, building El Centro de la Promesa Azul, improving retention rates through the United Scholars program, and helping to cater to the needs of a growing diverse student body.

“I celebrate these accomplishments while celebrating the many collaborations necessary to make them all possible,” said King. “Thank you for being great partners in the work.”

In terms of hiring King’s replacement, Desiree Chen, Senior Director of Communications and External Relations for EU, said the university is currently searching to fill several VP roles, and that their main focus is on finding a new Vice President for Student Affairs in the wake of Dr. Phillip Riordan’s retirement at the end of this academic year.

“The person who ultimately fills that position will strongly influence how we approach the selection of someone to lead equity and inclusion efforts,” said Chen, expounding upon the search for the two new vice presidents.

While King’s seat remains vacant in the Office of Equity and Inclusion for now, open interviews with the three candidates for the “Director of Student Inclusion & Belongingness” position are being held this week, signifying what may be a shift in the framing of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at EU going forward.