The search for an assistant to the president for diversity at Ohio University is now over after OU President Roderick McDavis named the former interim assistant to the position Sept. 1.
G. Christine Taylor was one of many candidates nationwide whose resume and application were reviewed for that position. In August, Taylor was one of three candidates for the position who made presentations to students and faculty members. The search cost OU $10,000.
Taylor has been at OU since 1991, working in many different departments including student affairs, administration and multicultural programs.
In her new position, Taylor is paid a yearly salary of $135,000 while she made $111,500 as the interim assistant to the president for diversity last year.
During her time as the interim assistant to the president for diversity, which began last September, Taylor said she worked on the team that wrote Vision Ohio, the university's strategic plan, and continued promoting OU's Urban Scholars program, which welcomed 13 freshman students this year.
Last year, through a combination of advertising the Urban Scholars program, working with administration and financial aid, and having a intimate approach to recruiting students, Taylor assisted the effort that saw nearly 100 more minority freshmen enrolled than in 2004.
This academic year, Taylor said she wants to expand diversity on campus beyond just race, which was a focus of recruitment last year. Taylor said she wants to increase the university's capacity for diversity.
We're dealing with a very broad umbrella
Taylor said. Not only are we trying to attract different racial groups but different sexual orientations international students and students with disabilities.
Taylor said she hopes developing OU into a more diverse community with the help of Vision Ohio will lead to changes in the city. Athens County has a 93.5 percent white population, according to the 2000 United States Government Census.
I don't feel I have any personal control over Athens
but as the institution changes
the city will change and tie in to Vision Ohio
Taylor said.
Sankofa is an African word meaning that we must go back and reclaim our pasts
so we can move forward and understand why and how we came to be who we are today
Taylor said. In the past
OU has been a much more diverse community. Now
we have to ask ourselves what happened and how are we going to correct that?
-Bridget Weber
