Committees

The Climate & Engagement Committee serves as the university committee to review and advise on issues of diversity, inclusion, climate and engagement.  It is drawn from employees and students throughout the universities campuses.

The Diversity and Inclusion 5 is the committee comprised of the five areas of Chief Inclusion Officer, the Director of Teaching & Learning, the Director of Student Diversity & Inclusion Services, the Associate Vice President of Student Success, Diversity & Inclusion and the Chief Human Resources & Employee Inclusion Officer. They are the professionals tasked with executing the strategic plan.  They meet regularly with the president to oversee this mission.

Strategic Planning

Clarkson University has a strategic plan, Clarkson at 125, in order to meet the needs of our students, faculty and staff. It lays out the following goals:

  • Increase the number of underrepresented students and staff
  • Professionally develop our students and employees to be global citizens

To reach these goals, the Chief Inclusion Officer, in collaboration with the Climate & Engagement Committee and the DI5 Council, has an operational strategic plan focused on recruitment, retention, onboarding, training, professional development, programming, curriculum and institutional change management. 

Chief Inclusion Officer

Jennifer Ball

Clarkson University's Chief Inclusion Officer is Dr. Jennifer Ball, who also serves as the University's Title VI, IX, ADA/504 Coordinator and as an associate professor of history and social documentation. 

Ball studied History and Women Studies at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. She has experience in both the academic and non-profit sectors. Her historical work has focused on Constitutional History and topics in American Gender and Sexuality Studies. Her social documentation and bystander intervention work focused on cultural resonance in training methods as a means of effectiveness.

She has shifted her focus in recent years to utilize her background in history and gender and sexuality studies to focus on current day analysis of civil rights compliance and Diversity and Inclusion. She serves on the National Advisory Board of the Association of Title IX Administrators and was a contributing editor to Title IX Today.

Other areas of interests involve dialogical practice and its integration into higher education pedagogy. She is currently working with the Difficult Dialogues National Resource Center to increase their outreach and impact.

Reach out to Dr. Ball by emailing jball@clarkson.edu or calling 315-268-4208.

Meet Our Staff

Lorrain Njoki headshot

Lorraine Njoki
Program Coordinator

Patrice Cole headshot

Patrice Cole
Administrative Assistant 

Phillip White-Cree headshot

Phillip White-Cree
Coordinator of Indigenous Community Support & Outreach