Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Profile: Liberal Arts Dean Billy Reynolds

Describe your efforts as they relate to the college's DEI strategic plan.
In Fall 2020, a group of Liberal Arts faculty and I began planning a workshop series for all Liberal Arts faculty. The idea was to really focus our energies on kickstarting a series of conversations on a variety of interconnected topics. We started with a three-hour workshop focused on helping us recognize, acknowledge, and navigate unconscious bias in our communities and in our classrooms. From there, we asked ourselves, both individually and collectively, the following questions: how often do you think about what colleagues of different races, ethnicities, or cultures experience? How comfortable are you discussing race-related topics with your colleagues? How often do you think about what students of different races, ethnicities, or cultures experience? In response to events that might be occurring in the world, how comfortable would you be having conversations about race with your students?

These questions led us into sometimes difficult emotional and intellectual territory, but I think they needed to be asked, and will serve as a strong foundation as we strive to become an equity-centered college.

What about the college's DEI strategic plan inspires your work?
Hiring a diverse faculty is very important. I'm also inspired by the rich collaborations that we see around the college (from KVAAP and Valley Food Share to the Office of Student Access and the Mental Health Awareness projects taking place each semester).

What does using the "lens of DEI" mean to you in your work?
It means being much more focused on opportunities and challenges that we face as an institution and embracing them wholeheartedly.

Share any struggles or challenges you've faced in relation to DEI and how you've worked to overcome them .
I think the biggest challenge is to avoid staying stagnant and complacent. The work shouldn't have an expiration date.

Who inspires you?
For much of my adult life I was inspired (and still am) by a variety of culturally diverse writers (Gwendolyn Brooks, Rita Dove, Louise Erdrich, Colson Whitehead, and James McBride, just to name a few).

But recently DEI work has become much more personal. For me it started with the realization that issues of diversity, equity, and inclusivity require my active participation and engagement.

On a personal level, I am inspired by the many conversations that I have had with close friends and co-workers. These conversations are always open-ended and judgement-free. Diversity, equity, and inclusion is difficult work but also very rewarding, and I have learned a lot from numerous colleagues around the college.