Concerns about the legitimacy of the institutional chief diversity officer (CDO) have frequently prompted conversations about the need to professionalize the role. As recently as this year, organizations like the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) are making headway in elevating the role as an efficient institutional change agent.
At this year’s Standards of Professional Practice Institute in June, NADOHE officers and institute faculty debunked assumptions associated with the diversity officer role and discussed solutions to assist the participating cohort in leveraging their role in order to foster inclusive excellence at their respective institutions.
NADOHE’s efforts to professionalize the role include working to realign diversity practitioners’ work within the necessary power structures at institutions and building practitioners’ competency in its 12 standards of professional practice….