Fourth DEIB vice provost candidate to present Oct. 3

LAWRENCE – The fourth candidate for the University of Kansas Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) vice provost position will give her public presentation from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3, in the Kansas Union Big 12 Room.

The presentation will be livestreamed, and the passcode is 904893.

Noelle Chaddock is the fourth and final candidate who will present her philosophy on the role diversity and inclusion play in higher education in the United States and how her philosophy would advance Realizing Intersectional Standards of Excellence (RISE) on KU’s Lawrence and Edwards campuses and further KU’s mission considering current challenges and trends in higher education.

Chaddock works internationally with colleges and universities as a keynote speaker, author, consultant, trainer and human developmentalist in equity, inclusion, access and anti-racism. She also works with organizations, institutions, nonprofits, governance boards, civil and social services, performing arts and entertainment entities around cultivation, development and capacity in these areas. She has worked with corporate clients, health care providers, educators and law enforcement agencies from across the United States since 2001.  

Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to offer their impressions and observations of each candidate online. There will be separate surveys for each of the four candidates where members of the KU community will have the chance to share their opinion of each candidate. Feedback on Chaddock’s presentation is due by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, and a recording of her presentation will be available until the survey closes.

Each candidate will meet with Barbara A. Bichelmeyer, provost and executive vice chancellor, as well as campuswide DEIB leaders and DEIB office staff, vice provosts, deans, Kansas Athletics, faculty-staff affinity groups, university governance and a representative from the chancellor’s office during their campus visit.

Chaddock is an independent consultant, and she has been among senior leadership as the director of culture and equity on multiple development and research projects during that time. She works with intact organizational and educational teams on strategic planning, talent cultivation, board development, leadership and organizational assessment and data-driven training and development. She also serves as an adjunct professor of women’s gender and sexuality studies at James Madison University.   

Prior to her work as an independent consultant, Chaddock worked in higher education for more than a decade. She served as the vice president of equity and inclusion at Bates College from 2019 until 2021, making her the first Black vice president at the school. She diversified incoming faculty cohorts from 30% racial diversity to 65% in her first year at Bates College. Prior to that, she served as associate provost at Rhodes College from 2016 until 2019. She has also held the leadership positions of inaugural chief diversity officer and Title IX deputy coordinator.  

Chaddock teaches and publishes in social theory, Black feminism and Black dramaturgy and theatre. She is an author with 11 publications, including her book “Antagonizing White Feminism: Intersectionality’s Critique of Women’s Studies and the Academy.”  

Chaddock earned her bachelor’s degree in human development, a master’s degree in philosophy, a graduate certificate in feminist theory and a doctorate from Binghamton University.

More information about the search and each of the candidates is available online.