Sallye McKee, associate to the president for institutional diversity at Metropolitan State College of Denver, has been named the first vice chancellor for diversity, equity and community engagement at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
McKee will assume her duties as vice chancellor at CU-Boulder on Aug. 15. She is the first vice chancellor for diversity, equity and community engagement on campus in a position designed to bolster CU-Boulder聮s commitment to diversity and to enhance and expand program offerings and services formerly coordinated by the associate vice chancellor for diversity and equity.
McKee said she 聯is honored and delighted to join the flagship campus as the first vice chancellor for diversity, equity and community engagement and I look forward to working with the campus community to focus and enhance our diversity effort.聰
聯In the area of diversity, I believe people are our greatest asset, and during my interviews, I was reminded that the Boulder campus continues to have a wealth of human capital,聰 she said.
Chancellor G.P. 聯Bud聰 Peterson said of McKee, 聯Sallye brings the vision, track record and energy we need to unify and focus our diversity efforts at the University of Colorado at Boulder. I was impressed with her experience, candor and commitment to diversity, and I am looking forward to her joining us and being an advocate for, and manager of, our overall diversity efforts.聰
Phil DiStefano, provost and executive vice chancellor, said, 聯Sallye McKee brings a wealth of experience in the area of diversity to this new leadership position. As the former director of the Minority Arts and Sciences program, Sallye understands the importance of providing a welcoming and supportive climate for students of color on the Boulder campus. Her experience working with faculty, department chairs and deans will be a tremendous asset to our goal of recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty.聰
Jim Williams, dean of University Libraries at CU-Boulder and chair of the search committee that reviewed candidates for the position, said, 聯Sallye is a consummate academic professional who has built her career on the issues and challenges associated with organizational consciousness, intercultural awareness, community-building, diverse populations and inclusion. Speaking on behalf of the search committee as chair, we are delighted about Sallye聮s appointment,聰 Williams said.
McKee will be responsible for engaging and leading faculty, staff, students and external campus constituencies in initiatives and programs that support diversity in all of its forms.
As a member of Chancellor Peterson聮s cabinet, McKee will ensure that diversity-related issues are key considerations in budgetary, administrative, academic and governance decisions. She will work collaboratively with the deans, department chairs, senior level staff, student groups and the greater university community to develop, implement and assess strategies. She will collaboratively develop activities and programs for increasing and enhancing faculty, student and staff diversity, as well as enhancing the campus environment for diversity.
She also will develop outreach and partnership programs with local and state constituent groups to create a welcoming campus environment.
McKee has held professional appointments in the broad area of diversity at East Carolina University, University of Minnesota, University of Denver, Bowling Green University and from 1993 to 1996 at CU-Boulder.
At Metropolitan State College, McKee has been responsible for development of the first campuswide office to enhance diversity with special emphasis on faculty recruitment and retention, improving campus climate and attaining institutional designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution.
She also worked with Metro聮s Office of Academic Affairs, among others, to enhance the Target Opportunity Program designed to increase diversity among the faculty; expanded funding for the Diversity Initiatives Program to enhance diversity; coordinated with campus departments to develop a campus climate project for improving the professional relationships between male and female employees in the Division of Information Technology; and worked with campus offices to design a campuswide pilot project to launch multidisciplinary learning communities.
McKee received her bachelor聮s degree in French and secondary education with honors from Morris Brown College, her master聮s degree in elementary education from the University of Chicago and her doctorate in curriculum and instruction/educational psychology from the University of Minnesota.
Other finalists for the vice chancellor position included Paulette Granberry Russell, senior adviser to the president for diversity at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich., and Thomas Windham, senior adviser for Science and Engineering Workforce at the National Science Foundation聮s Office of the Director in Arlington, Va.
A reception welcoming McKee to campus will be hosted by Chancellor Peterson at a date to be announced, and a campuswide open house to introduce McKee to faculty, staff and students will be announced in September.