Sheila Edwards Lange has been newly selected as the vice president for the Office of Minority Affairs (OMA) at the UW.

The Office of Minority Affairs helps to connect students, faculty and staff members through a spectrum of programs that address diversity in curriculum, research and community service.

Since 2006, Lange has served as interim vice president for the Office of Minority Affairs and vice provost for diversity, after the departure of Nancy “Rusty” Barcelo.

“[Lange] has really impressed everyone with the work she’s done and her desire to better the diversity on campus,” said Phyllis M. Wise, provost and vice president of academic affairs. “The key area for us is that we’re trying to diversify our staff and make conversations [about diversity] richer.”

When searching for someone to fill the permanent position of vice president for the OMA, Wise said, “It took time to recruit from a national level of people to find the very best, and we found the very best among us, right here.”

Wise said Lange has instituted new programs as an interim, including better advising for first-generation students and scholarships for minority groups.

“I strongly believe that our University is the one place where we can have conversations about cultural differences,” Lange said. “By working with the college deans and engaging them in diversity issues, I want to bring topics of diversity much closer to what students are experiencing in the classroom. I am the person held accountable for diversity, so it’s in my best interest to ultimately be accountable for providing leadership.”

Lange’s résumé also includes an extensive role in the UW Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), a service program that provides counseling and advising for ethnic minorities and economically disadvantaged first generation students.

According to the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity Web site, EOP’s purpose is to “provide educational opportunity and to create greater cultural diversity within the University.”

“[Lange’s] expertise is recruiting people of color and diverse backgrounds,” said Tyson Johnston, ASUW director of diversity efforts. “She’s committed to ensuring all colleges and deans have comprehensive plans for incorporating diversity.”

Johnston has worked closely with Lange at the OMA and has seen firsthand her relentless drive to promote diversity.

“Under [Lange’s] leadership, students have more of a say in OMA policy,” Johnston said. “She impressed me with her ability to keep students at the center. She’s very open about working with students, and that hasn’t really been seen in her predecessors. She has made it a clear point that she’s a public figure for students.”

Lange has worked to improve diversity efforts at the UW, but she believes that there are more obstacles to overcome in the future.

“The challenge is that there is a broader definition of diversity,” Lange said. “It’s now broader than race and ethnicity; now we’re looking at issues of disabilities, gay, lesbian, bisexual groups, as well as economic and class issues. We’re also concerned about religious issues and how it will impact a student’s experience here.”

A steady goal for Lange has been to coordinate various groups within the campus community to help understand this expansive definition. She hopes to connect faculty and students to create efficient communication pertaining to topics of diversity.

“There needs to be coordination to make sure we’re all talking to each other and not just trying to create individual groups,” Lange said. “If we’re going to talk about diversity, we should do it in collaboration units, with some basic infrastructure. We won’t change unless we work [as a community] to provide data, connect people to similar programming and pool resources to impact more programs.”

Lange understands the importance of equipping students for workplaces and careers that are continually globalizing and becoming more diverse.

“There is an educational benefit to diversity that is often not talked about,” Lange said. “This [benefit] allows us to create graduates that are capable in dealing with civic issues in professional settings. Now that we’re in a global society, we have to prepare and train future leaders about differences because students are more likely to live and work in a diverse environment.”

Lange’s coworkers and colleagues alike have sent words of approval for her future at the UW and are confident that she will have the capacity to influence the community’s role on diversity efforts.

“I’m very pleased that she retained her position because she deserves it,” Johnston said. “She doesn’t claim to be an expert on diversity or put herself on a pedestal. She’s very much in the learning process of understanding all forms of identity, like the rest of us. I think the university has an amazing person to represent the campus.”