Bantz Announces Selection for Director of Equal Opportunity
IUPUI Chancellor Charles R. Bantz today announced the selection of Kim D. Kirkland as the campus's Director of Equal Opportunity. Kirkland is currently the Affirmative Action Officer and Senior Investigator responsible for monitoring compliance with federal and state equal opportunity and nondiscrimination laws and regulations at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in Ohio.
Kirkland will succeed Lillian Charleston, IUPUI's Affirmative Action Officer, on June 2. A celebration in honor of Charleston's 27 years of service to IUPUI was held earlier this week. The title of the position has been changed from Affirmative Action Officer to Director of Equal Opportunity.
Kirkland said she was drawn to the campus because it is "located in the heart of Indianapolis and is a beautiful place."
In 2004, she joined the Office of Equity & Diversity at BGSU, which has about 20,000 students. She has also worked as an AA/EEO and diversity program consultant and for many years administered equal opportunity and diversity programs at GE Aviation, formerly GE Aircraft Engines.
Fairness is an important element of affirmative action programs, Kirkland said. "I believe that in order for organizations to build a foundation for success, they must provide the framework for fairness through the development and implementation of sound human resources policies and practices in collaboration with an effective affirmative action program. An effective affirmative action program would provide for proactive planning, the development of positive outreach programs with regard to women and minorities, on-going monitoring of selection and placement decisions as they relate to affirmative action goals, and accountability to ensure non-discrimination with regard to those policies and practices."
As with any complaint process, one of the parties is likely to be unhappy with the outcome, she noted. Nonetheless, although someone might disagree with a decision, everyone should agree that the process was fair and that everyone's views were heard, she noted.
Kirkland expects to receive a Doctor of Education from BGSU, focusing on Leadership Studies, in May 2009. She received a Masters of Education from Xavier University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Cincinnati. She is also a graduate from the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
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