Leading effort to create a culturally competent campus
Rashida Willard
Citing the respect she has earned from her peers, students and the community, Clark College has promoted Rashida Willard to the position of Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Willard is “a strong and effective leader,” Clark College Interim President Sandra Fowler-Hill said Thursday on making the appointment. “She’s leading the effort to create a culturally competent campus to help students succeed.”
Willard joined Clark College in Vancouver four years ago as Operations Manager of Administrative Services. She has taught as an adjunct professor, has served as Director of Operations and Risk Manager, and for the past 17 months has served as Interim Associate Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
“I am deeply invested in this work, and am passionate about creating inclusive, safe and welcoming environments where all students have maximum opportunities to succeed,” Willard said. “I am eager to move forward in community and collaboration, building on our team’s momentum of the last several months.”
Her current research explores strategies that faculty and staff employ to create culturally engaging spaces for students of color attending predominantly white institutions and how campus racial climate affects their persistence and completion rates. The research will be used to examine and identify strategies to close the equity gap among students of color in higher education.
Willard holds a master’s degree in Business Administration, a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and an associate degree in Organizational Dynamics. She is currently attending Concordia University, pursuing a doctorate in Education with a concentration in Professional Leadership, Inquiry and Transformation.