Published January 23, 2018 This content is archived.
Dear University Community:
It is with mixed emotions that I share that Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence, Teresa A. Miller will step down from her administrative role at UB in order to assume the position of Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff to SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson, effective January 29, 2018.
A member of UB’s law faculty since 1995, Professor Miller was named UB’s inaugural Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion in 2014. Since then, she has built the Office of Inclusive Excellence, leveraging her deep understanding of the historical complexity of cultural issues to strengthen the culture of equity and inclusion throughout the university. Teri has provided important leadership within UB and SUNY, serving as a member of the President’s cabinet and ensuring that policies and practices lead to a more diverse and inclusive campus community and system.
As part of her role, Teri led the creation of UB’s first strategic diversity and inclusion plan. This plan envisions integrating inclusive excellence in all aspects of university operations, fostering a sense of shared responsibility, coordinating UB’s many diversity and inclusion-related efforts, and better monitoring progress to goals. The solid foundation and long-range vision this plan provides will guide UB’s equity, inclusion and diversity efforts for years to come.
Teri led many initiatives to implement the strategies articulated in the strategic plan, among them, convening an Inclusive Excellence Leadership Council, which brings together committed diversity and inclusion leaders university-wide to share strategies, discuss challenges and recognize achievements. A hallmark of Teri’s leadership style as vice provost is collaboration. Teri worked with International Education to create Thanksgiving Without Borders, an initiative promoting international student inclusion. In addition, she collaborated with Faculty Affairs and UB’s Faculty Senate to assess and enhance faculty mentoring at UB.
In 2016, Teri launched the Difficult Conversations (DIFCON) Series to enable conversations across difference and increase cultural competence university-wide. These forums engage faculty, staff and students in expressing their opinions about controversial topics while fostering norms of civil discourse – a core value of the university.
In addition, Teri championed the integration of the diversity learning requirement in the UB Curriculum, ensuring that all UB undergraduates develop cultural literacy and better understand diversity and the construction of difference.
Colleagues, please join me in thanking Teri for her many contributions and in wishing her much continued success in her new role at SUNY.
In the coming weeks, I will launch a search for the next Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence.
Sincerely,
Charles F. Zukoski
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
