Hamline University hired Dr. David Everett in August as their first ever Associate Vice President (AVP) of Inclusive Excellence.

“Hamline has a reputation of being a great institution and a great partner in the community,” Everett said, “and I think there has been this energy around how [we] continue that trend.”

Everett, who most recently worked as the Diversity and Inclusion Consultant for the State of Minnesota Department of Human Services, explained why Hamline introduced the new title.

“Wholistically, we’ve done some things really well, and in a really critical inquiry type of way, what can we do better?”

One of Everett’s duties as AVP of Inclusive Excellence is taking a closer look at retention of students, staff and faculty, and how it’s related to equity, inclusion and diversity. These are no new topics to Everett who has worked in inclusion, equity and diversity positions since the early 2000s.

He has worked in affirmative action, affordable housing and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MNSCU) schools as an adjunct professor in philosophy, religion and race. Everett’s interest in human diversity stemmed from his first encounter with community organizing and grassroots activism.

“It just kind of went ‘kaboom’ in my head,” Everett said. “It was an epiphany for me, but also kind of an opportunity to bring all of the things I’ve experienced as a student and as an individual who had grown up in New York in an impoverished area to the conversation.”

Everett also worked on increasing voter confidence in the Twin Cities.

“There was a push to find out what could be done to increase not just voter turnout but voter education in particularly low-income areas around Minneapolis and St. Paul,” Everett said.

Everett’s daily schedule around Hamline’s Campus involves meetings and what he calls “listening sessions.”

“What I’ve been trying to do is to get in front of as many areas and as many departments as possible to get their perspective on what they think, what they see, what they’ve experienced in a way where people feel comfortable, they feel heard that they’ll be listened to and that they can offer up the realities of their experience,” Everett explained

Everett organized an event featuring Robin DiAngelo, author of White Fragility, on Jan. 29, 2019 at Hamline.

“Hopefully that will contribute to some ongoing conversation pieces that I think are essential,” Everett said.

He also plans to complete what he calls a “baseline assessment” of Hamline’s inner workings as a culturally competent institution.

“The plan is to develop and provide some individual development opportunities, as well as some real evaluation of institutional systemic kind of things.”

Everett went on to express his happiness with the new job.

“The energy and support around my position has really blown me away,” Everett said. “I think that not only says a lot about President Miller’s leadership, but about the Hamline community on every level – faculty, staff and student.”