Auburn University’s Clayton pens article about diversity, equity and inclusion for ‘Higher Education Today’

Auburn University’s Taffye Benson Clayton, vice president and associate provost for the Office of Inclusion and Diversity, or OID, was recently featured by the American Council on Education, or ACE, with her piece, “Refocusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion During the Pandemic and Beyond: Lessons from a Community of Practice.”

Touching on recent events from the past year, Clayton’s article in “Higher Education Today,” a blog by ACE, addresses the need for more effective strategies for under-represented populations by placing diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, at the core of our institutional practice.

By resolving these inequities, Clayton explains, higher education will be provided with a unique opportunity to have a substantial and enduring impact on the lives of under-represented communities.

“By promoting the importance of a diverse campus, adopting an equity-minded approach to leadership and facilitating greater inclusion, institutional leaders can ensure that our institutions deliver on the nation’s promise of higher education for all students,” Clayton said.

As Auburn's first associate provost and vice president for inclusion and diversity, Clayton has been responsible for providing strategic vision, leadership, coordination and planning to further inclusion and diversity as core values since 2016.

Recently, she has led a community of practice around diversity, equity and inclusion in the era of COVID-19 with ACE to bring together leaders from the higher education community across the country to work together to explore and document how institutions can ensure issues of diversity, equity and inclusion are front and center as our country moves forward.

About the Office of Inclusion and Diversity
The Office of Inclusion and Diversity serves as a vital resource for building unity, equity and inclusion in the Auburn University community. Our mission is to create an environment of success for students, faculty and staff who encompass a broad range of backgrounds, races, ethnicities, nationalities, religions, genders, sexual orientations and abilities. Our goal is to help those around us recognize and value the considerable educational benefits emanating from diversity as we prepare our students and community for life and leadership in a global society and help establish diversity, equity and inclusion as core principles and values of Auburn University.