Associate chancellor of institutional diversity: I’m stepping down

By Cory Ray, @coryray_DE
May 5, 2016

Linda McCabe Smith, SIUC’s associate chancellor for institutional diversity, announced during today’s SIU Board of Trustees meeting that she will leave SIUC on June 30 after nearly 23 years at the university.

“It’s bittersweet,” said McCabe Smith, whose department oversees Title IX investigations and diversity issues on campus, among other things.

Smith made her announcement at the board’s academic affairs meeting after giving a report on minority diversity at SIU.

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She said she has accepted an offer for a position at North Carolina State University.

MORE: Interim Chancellor unveils new measures to improve campus diversity, inclusivity | Student calls on President Obama to help end racism at SIU

Before her announcement, she stressed the importance of having the ratio of black faculty match that of black students.

While Hispanic and Latino enrollment increased from 2010 to 2014, Native American and Pacific Islander enrollment decreased during that time, she said. African-American enrollment is also down.

“That’s something we need to take a look at,” Smith said. “We need to see what’s going on there.”

MORE: SIU releases video in response to recent racism on campus | Administrators worked with YouTube to take down racist video

McCabe Smith’s announcement comes during a time when racial issues have become a large part of the campus discussion. One student said she experienced racism in her dorm, others were scared following a YouTube video that called for lynchings of black students on campus.

You can sift through our coverage of recent racist events and protests on campus here.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights is investigating the university for the way it has handled two sexual violence investigations — something McCabe Smith’s office oversees. The Daily Egyptian will have more on the department’s investigation later this week.

This story will be updated.

Cory Ray can be reached at [email protected] or 618-536-3325.

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