ODU Named One of America's Top 100 Employers for Diversity
February 01, 2019
ReNee Dunman
Janice Underwood
By Joe Garvey
Forbes magazine has named Old Dominion University one of America's 100 Best Employers for Diversity in its 2019 rankings.
Old Dominion was 93rd among 500 employers that were recognized. The University was the top-ranked employer in Hampton Roads.
"We are thrilled to receive this recognition from Forbes magazine," said ReNee Dunman, ODU's assistant vice president for Institutional Equity and Diversity. "Under President John R. Broderick's leadership, we have made numerous efforts to ensure that we have a diverse staff and faculty. This, of course, benefits the University community in so many ways: broader points of view for our students; research that has greater breadth and quality; and a variety of role models and mentors."
With the reassembly of the President's Task Force on Inclusive Excellence in 2014, ODU signaled that diversity and inclusion is an institutional priority. The task force developed the Inclusive Excellence Framework, a five-year plan designed to grow and sustain diverse and inclusive living, learning and working environments.
"This honor is an acknowledgment that our efforts are succeeding," said Janice Underwood, director of diversity initiatives and chair of the President's Task Force on Inclusive Excellence. "We are moving the dial forward with institutional investments and rigorous programming, such as integrated campaigns that uniquely bond our diverse campus with Hampton Roads and the global community."
In collaboration with the analytics firm Statista, Forbes selected America's Best Employers for Diversity 2019 based on an independent survey from a sample of more than 50,000 U.S.-based employees who worked for businesses with at least 1,000 employees.
