FOR HIRE: New VP of Equity and Inclusion

By Dylan Pichnarcik

Editor-in-Chief 

By Avery Slavin 

News Editor

University officials are beginning the search for a new Vice President of Equity and Inclusion following the departure of Jeffrey Coleman. 

Coleman served as Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement from January of 2023 to June of 2026. His departure from the University was announced by President Nancy Niemi on June 16 in a campus-wide email. 

In her email, she wrote, “I am grateful to Jeffrey for his contributions to our University over the past three and a half years and wish him success in his future endeavors.

“As we look ahead, the University remains firmly committed to continuing our development as a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive campus environment for all members of our community,” Niemi said in her email. 

The posting for the new Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement, which has been rebranded as the Vice President of Equity and Inclusion, was posted on Sept. 8. 

This position comes with an annual salary of $175,000 to $188,000 commensurate with experience and credentials. This is a full-time, exempt, benefits-eligible, non-unit position.

Niemi said she, along with other members of the University’s Executive Staff - those who oversee the respective divisions of the University - spent time during their annual retreat rewriting the job description and discussing how they wanted to re-envision the role.

“We took off the community engagement because it didn't fit with the position. People got confused both internally and externally as to what the focus of this division was.” 

She added the change was meant “to be very clear about what the role and responsibilities of this division would be.” 

Leadership for community engagement is shifting to other administrators. A reserve fund, previously overseen by the division’s vice president, was used for donations to local initiatives, including the YMCA and the City of Framingham’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebrations. 

The process for distributing these funds to community organizations has moved to David Halbert, director of external affairs. 

Niemi said the vice presidency is not “a political position. It certainly has political elements to it. But the job is not to go to our neighbors, for example, and talk about equity, but to work on our own organization and how, in every area we have, we manifest our belief in equity through education.”

Niemi said, “The division headed by the new person will be responsible for establishing with us, with our community, but really advancing a clear, actionable vision for equity, inclusion, belonging, justice, and grounded in evidence-based practices, relevant scholarship, and existing institutional frameworks. So, advancing the vision that we know we already operate on - it's our DNA.” 

The vice president of Equity and Inclusion will report directly to Niemi and is expected to lead the University’s efforts surrounding equity, inclusion, and belonging, according to the position description. 

The new vice president will oversee the Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE) and work with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners to develop initiatives that address equity and inclusion across the University.

Currently, the CIE and the staff managed by the vice president of equity and inclusion are reporting to Vice President of Student Affairs Meg Nowak Borrego.

The vice president will maintain a visible campus presence, facilitate difficult conversations, mediate conflicts, and respond to concerns involving inclusion. 

According to the position’s posting, the University is seeking a candidate with substantial higher education experience, an advanced degree in a related field, and strong strategic, collaborative, and communication skills. The position requires regular campus presence, including evenings and weekends. 

Niemi said a candidate who would be well suited for the role is “somebody who is really willing to roll up their sleeves and be part of the community, even as you're leading.” 

Beyond the posting’s qualifications, she also emphasized respect for faculty, understanding the realities of a small institution, and the ability to move between big-picture strategy and hands-on campus work. 

“That ability to see and know the big landscape, to really understand what higher education and equity’s commitment needs to look like in conjunction with those of us on the ground, and to really go back and forth between that big picture and what’s needed here will be critical,” Niemi said. 

The University has launched a nationwide search for a candidate to fill the position, which has already yielded applicants. A priority deadline of Oct. 8 has been set to submit a cover letter, resume or curriculum vitae, and the names of three professional references. 

A committee to select a candidate is currently being formed and will include faculty, staff, and students. CIE Director Jerome Burke is also a member of the committee, he said.  

The committee will be responsible for selecting finalists, while the ultimate decision to hire the respective candidate lies with Niemi.