The newly appointed Assistant President of Diversity and Community Initiatives Dr. Chon Glover M.Ed. ’90 Ed. D. ’99 spoke at the College of William and Mary’s Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People meeting Monday evening.
Before her appointment, Glover worked at the College for 13 years, serving as advisor to former College Presidents Tim Sullivan and Gene Nichol and as director of the Multicultural Affairs Office.
Glover has been involved in the reactivation of the College’s NAACP chapter. She watched as the percentage of entering freshmen from diverse ethnic backgrounds has exceeded twenty-five percent at the College in recent years.
“That is a very real measure of success,” Glover said regarding the higher percentage.
She even chatted on a first-name basis with many of the audience members as well as the NAACP president before the meeting.
During her talk, Glover explained that her appointment as assistant president is the culmination of changes that took place over several years.
Prior to 2003, issues such as student diversity were hardly considered to be a serious priority, but in recent years the campus has become more focused on promoting diversity.
Glover said that the Department of Diversity and Community was created as a separate entity from the
Department of Multicultural Affairs, with an even larger institution-wide influence that includes staff working alongside students.
One of the most noteworthy changes is the new non-reservable meditation room in the Campus Center, which was ready for use during the week of Ramadan.
Glover’s position highlights two significant milestones for the College. Currently, Glover is the College’s only minority senior-level official.
“This fact alone reinforces the renewal of our school’s commitment to diversity,” Glover said.
Glover spoke briefly of a time when black Americans in the Historic Triangle felt uncomfortable setting foot
on the College campus.
Besides her new residence along Jamestown Road, Dr. Glover said she was particularly enthusiastic about her direct access to College President Taylor Reveley.
She can now bring the issues weighing most heavily on students’ minds directly to the president himself.
“You are the greatest resource we have,” Glover said, looking out at a sea of student faces. “We’re on our way up, but we’ll only continue to go up if you continue to really speak and talk, share your feelings and inquire.“
The BOV is expected to approve Glover’s position at its next meeting, Sept. 17 and 18.
