Arizona’s James a Pioneer in Inclusion Initiatives

Dr. Stanlie James began her career as an innovative scholar of Black feminism and international human rights.

Now, as the vice provost of inclusion and community engagement at Arizona State University (ASU) since 2016, she has pioneered initiatives that have attracted the attention of national organizations.

“I decided my charge was to figure out how to make sure that inclusion is not relegated to one office or one department but becomes the responsibility of every single person on the campus,” James says. However, changing institutional culture at this scale is not an easy task for such a large university.

With nearly 60,000 undergraduates across five campuses in the Phoenix metropolitan area, ASU has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the most innovative school in the United States. The strides James has made in inclusivity and equity have lived up to that accolade.

She began her tenure as vice provost by revitalizing what she refers to as the once “moribund institution” of ASU’s Committee for Campus Inclusion by appointing co-chairs who would oversee the programming at various campuses. Her office also supervises the ASU Martin Luther King Jr. Committee, the Faculty Women of Color Caucus and the Provost Native American Advisory Council, all of which strive to enhance the inclusivity of campus culture.

ASU has become visible in the national arena through its relationship with Excelencia in Education, an organization that works to increase Hispanic students’ success across the country. According to Excelencia’s data, ASU graduates the most Hispanic students in the nation. James is currently working with Excelencia to host its annual meeting at ASU in March.

“I think it’s an opportunity for them to see what we’re doing here at ASU,” James says. “It’s an opportunity to learn from the other institutions that are involved in Excelencia to enhance our own program.”