Jessica Cruz, NMU’s chief diversity and Inclusion officer, is one of two candidates selected to participate in the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education’s (NADOHE) Chief Diversity Officer Fellows Program, cohort 4, for the 2017-18 academic year. The program for new and early career chief diversity officers provides fellows with mentoring by a senior-level officers and guided professional development experiences. 

According to an NADOHE press release, fellows design with their mentors an individualized Leadership Enrichment and Achievement Plan for the fellowship year. The plan includes goals, activities, campus site visits, a special project with at least one major deliverable and a budget plan for use of the award. During their visits to mentor campuses, fellows participate in on-site learning and enrichment experiences and observe leadership styles. Cruz's mentor will visit NMU to better understand the diversity issues and challenges she faces.

Cruz will present to the NADOHE Board of Directors during the NADOHE Annual Conference about her year-long fellowship, how she incorporated the special project and its outcomes. She will also participate in a program assessment and become part of the fellows' alumni network. 

"I am excited to be selected for the NADOHE Chief Diversity Officers Fellows Program, Cohort 4," said Cruz. "It will further inform our strategies towards creating an even more inclusive campus climate for all." 

NADOHE President Archie W. Ervin said, "We are delighted to offer this important opportunity for a new and/or early career Chief Diversity Officer to obtain real time guidance and on the ground learning from a more senior colleague. The goal is to enhance the Fellows' professional knowledge and experience in order to stimulate strategic thinking and advance outcomes at their home institutions."

NADOHE serves as the preeminent voice for diversity officers in higher education. Its vision is to lead higher education towards inclusive excellence through institutional transformation. For more information about NADOHE, visit www.nadohe.org.