Done well, diversity and inclusion can transform advancement, says Justin M. Gibson. He’s the Program Director for Diversity, Outreach and Engagement at the University of Cincinnati Alumni Association in Ohio, and a CASE volunteer and speaker.
Recently, in “Today’s Campus Diversity and Inclusion Leaders” (Currents, May/June 2022), he shared insights from his work building ties with alumni and elevating diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within advancement. Here, learn more about his career path, the business case for DEIB, and more.
What’s your role at the University of Cincinnati, and how did you land in advancement?
My title is Program Director for Diversity, Outreach and Engagement. There are two main areas of my role. First, I’m the liaison to our underrepresented and historically marginalized communities of alumni and work with our identity-based groups: groups for African American, LGBTQ, and Latino alumni, and our Golden Bearcats (alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago).
The other side is to help not only our alumni association, but our foundation at large with strategies to better connect with underrepresented alumni and donors and the community at large. This includes working with a couple of our ERGs, as well as being the staff liaison to the DEI committee for the UC Foundation board of trustees.
As for landing in advancement… you know, if you ask an advancement officer that, you’ll probably get a different answer every time. I honestly didn’t know what advancement meant initially, though most of my professional career has been working in higher education since graduating from the University of Cincinnati in 2005.
But at the time I was working in the private sector and was recruited back for this position because of my passion for all things Cincinnati. I’d been an alumni volunteer and served previously on the Board of Governors for our Alumni Association. People knew me and knew my passions. So when the alumni association said, “Hey, we’re trying something new and we think you’d be good at helping us move this thing along where we want to go,” it was a no-brainer for me to step into this role. Now, almost six years later, we’ve celebrated some wins but still looking forward to continuing the work.
In Currents, you talked about how diversity, equity, and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility. Share more about that.
I am always careful to not be labeled as “the diversity guy” at work or in my responsibilities as the Opportunity and Inclusion chair for CASE’s District V. Not only does it pigeonhole me professionally, but it stunts the growth of the organization because it gives others the ability to punt the ball down the field. DEIB is, absolutely, everyone’s responsibility… I see my role as the person who will help develop the strategies and implement the tactics to make a difference. That is one of the first things that became apparent to me when I became a certified diversity practitioner.
But if you look at any organization that does DEIB work well, you’ll see that executive buy-in is the first critical step. Once the expectation is made clear that inclusivity is a core value of the institution, then things should begin falling into place. As once the DEIB efforts are properly resourced, the impact will be felt by staff and any external partners.
What’s something about DEIB work that’s misunderstood?
Sometimes when people think about inclusion work, at best they think of trust falls and “kumbaya” moments; at worst, they think about Critical Race Theory and any unfounded assumptions that are made about it. Trainings and workshops are certainly a part of the process, but a great DEIB strategy will focus on how to transform the ecosystem to where everyone can feel welcome and have a sense of agency. There is a business case for having an inclusive organization. It’s not just about trying to make people feel good about working with us, while that’s very important. It’s not just about corporate responsibility. It’s about how are we going to see strong, measurable business results year over year. And one of the ways to do this is to create pathways of engagement for all alumni and donors.
That is something I always lead with when working with executive-level leaders, or when I travel to help train or consult. I say: I’m not here to make anyone feel guilty or catch anyone in a “gotcha” moment. No, I’m here to help transform the organization to meet all its goals, through the lens of working to make all stakeholders feel they can be their authentic selves while being valued and celebrated.
Additionally, I think it should be made very clear that inclusion means everyone—and that includes straight, white, cisgender males. DEIB isn’t about Black or Brown people, our LGBTQ community, or those who are at a socioeconomic disadvantage. The political climate in our country has caused us to become tribal and that negatively hurts everybody. Although it can be difficult at times, everyone needs to feel as if they are welcome to the table.
What energizes you about this work?
As much work that has already been done, there’s so much work to do and I’m excited about where this is going to be next year, five years from now, 25 years from now. I also love meeting colleagues from other institutions who really want their organizations to get this right, the intersection of DEI and advancement. It has been such a privilege to share my thoughts and experiences with them.
Outside of the work I do, I just started my doctorate in urban educational leadership with a higher education concentration at UC. My research interest is examining how colleges and universities can use their advancement efforts to bring about social and restorative justice. My goal is to uncover best practices that will make transformational changes in our industry.