Office of the Provost

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI)

The State University of New York (SUNY) Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) was established in August of 2007. The office, which is headed by Mr. Carlos N. Medina, Associate Provost and Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and reports to the Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, provides leadership and strategic direction to all SUNY campuses for developing and implementing a portfolio of diversity programs.

ODEI promotes equal access, meaningful academic and intellectual inclusion in curriculum, research and service, and holistic integration of our state's underrepresented and economically disadvantaged populations into the academic culture of higher education at all levels.

In close collaboration with campuses, ODEI enhances academic excellence by promoting the integration of diversity-related instruction and policy-oriented research. The link between academic excellence and diversity is indispensable in the modern university. Recent studies show that diversity in thought increases organizational strength, creativity, innovation and productivity; and there is significant evidence that people's identity groups matter when it comes to diversity in thinking. Through the creative marshaling of resources, strategic investments and consultation with chief diversity officers system-wide, ODEI develops a focused approach to enhance access, success, diversity and academic excellence at SUNY. The fundamental academic mission of ODEI is to help SUNY fulfill its responsibility to create knowledge that will benefit society and prepare a new generation of public and corporate leaders, as well as a highly skilled and technically proficient workforce, that can work effectively in a culturally diverse and globalized environment.

ODEI administers four programs that were enacted by the state legislature almost twenty years ago to promote access, equity and diversity at SUNY: the Faculty Diversity Program, the Graduate Diversity Fellowship Program, the Empire State Diversity Honors Scholarship Program and the Native American Initiative. These programs were designed to help SUNY realize its mission of providing a quality education "with the broadest possible access, fully representative of all segments of the population."

For more information contact Barbara Hardman by email or by phone at (518) 320-1189