The Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity announces its inaugural class of OIED Faculty Fellows, also known as P.A.C.E. (Pedagogical Alliance for Campus Equity) Fellows.

The program serves to recognize and cultivate the instrumental relationships that faculty members have with students and the university community, a relationship that has the ability to further foster a sense of belonging and cultivate inclusive environments at NC State University. 

Promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in educational spaces is an essential practice for encouraging a sense of belonging at NC State. Our commitment to creating an environment that promotes innovation and critical thinking through inclusive practices helps to further the educational and professional growth of our students, faculty and staff.

With each class of faculty fellows, the program seeks to foster collaboration and cultivate partnerships amongst faculty representing all the colleges that comprise NC State University. In its inaugural year, the program welcomes three faculty members who represent the First-Year Writing Program (FYWP) and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Our amazing faculty fellows kicking off the inaugural program year are:

• Sarah Ruiz (she/her), lecturer, Department of English, NC State University
• Shana Scudder (she/her), lecturer, Department of English, NC State University
• Laura Waldrep (she/her), lecturer, Department of English, NC State University

Throughout the summer break, the fellows worked to establish their cohort’s mission and to provide a title to their partnership initiative. As the academic year begins, they have set ambitious goals to work with campus partners to provide professional development, faculty coaching and student engagement focused on increasing cultural competency in the classroom. The cohort established the following as their mission:

We strive to be a resource for faculty and students who want to expand their understanding of what it means to build a more just and inclusive campus community. Our aim is to create opportunities for connection, collaboration, dialogue and action that will result in a more equitable culture on campus. We seek to put theory into practice by collaborating with campus stakeholders to empower students and faculty alike in the work of promoting culturally inclusive pedagogies and practices at North Carolina State University.

OIED thanks Casie Fedukovich for her coordination, dedication and partnership in bringing about this program and this collaboration. We value and appreciate her tireless commitment to advancing cultural competence and inclusive practices for NC State students.

Welcome to our inaugural class of fellows. We invite our campus community to engage with our fellows as they develop new partnerships and strengthen established relationships to achieve their mission. 

Melvin “Jai” Jackson, Ph.D., is assistant vice provost for faculty engagement in the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity.