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Provostial Appointments for Patrick Dunkley and Shirley Everett

Leadership appointments announced by Provost Persis Drell seek to advance key strategic objectives of the university.

Excerpts from the article originally published in Stanford Today on April 7, 2021

 

Provost Persis Drell announced several new appointments intended to lead equity and inclusion efforts at Stanford, support internal communities within the university and develop strategy for the next wave of innovation in digital education.

  • Patrick Dunkley will serve as vice provost for institutional equity, access and community. In this role, he will serve as executive director of the university’s IDEAL and racial justice initiatives, and also direct the Office of Institutional Equity and Access, providing leadership for critical programs that support internal communities at Stanford.
  • Shirley Everett will serve as senior adviser to the provost on equity and inclusion. Dr. Everett has decades of experience leading one of the most diverse organizations at Stanford. She will represent, on the provost’s staff, the voices of front-line staff and the needs of staff communities of color at Stanford. Everett also will continue to serve in her current role as senior associate vice provost for Residential & Dining Enterprises and as a member of the university’s cabinet.

“The work of these individuals will help us live up to the promise that all members of our community, of every background and experience, are valued, appreciated, can do their best work and have opportunities to grow and advance at Stanford while being their authentic and genuine selves. And these individuals will help us develop and coordinate activities across the university and execute on strategy to ensure we make real progress on key institutional objectives we’ve set for ourselves.”

Patrick Dunkley

Dunkley has served Stanford for more than 19 years in a variety of leadership roles. He currently serves as deputy athletics director and senior university counsel, overseeing human resources, legal affairs and NCAA compliance in the athletics department. Dunkley also currently serves as co-chair of the university’s Community Board on Public Safety, which was created to advise university leadership on community safety and campus policing, and co-leads the IDEAL Staff Advisory Committee.

In addition to his new role as vice provost, Dunkley will serve as special adviser to the president on equity and inclusion. In this role, he will specifically work with the president on recommendations made by the Community Board on Public Safety and the Black Community Council.

As vice provost for institutional equity, access and community beginning May 1, Dunkley will have two principal areas of focus.

First, he will provide day-to-day management for the university’s IDEAL (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access in a Learning Environment) and racial justiceinitiatives as the executive director of IDEAL. Dunkley will work with the provost to oversee progress, facilitate community engagement, develop feedback mechanisms and metrics and provide coordination of activities across the university supporting equity and inclusion.

Second, Dunkley will oversee the Office of Institutional Equity & Access, which includes the SHARE Title IX Office, the Ombuds Office and the Diversity & Access Office. These offices work to ensure that members of the Stanford community are able to work, live and study in an equitable, just and safe environment. Activities in the unit include prevention and response to sexual harassment and sexual violence; compliance with policies and laws that ensure equal opportunity and equal access for individuals with disabilities; and confidential dispute resolution for members of the community experiencing conflicts or concerns.

Lauren Schoenthaler has led Institutional Equity & Access for the last five years, where among other things she has expanded training related to sexual harassment and sexual violence, instituted the annual publication of the Title IX/Sexual Harassment Report, overseen the merger of several offices into the new SHARE Title IX Office and overseen the implementation of new Title IX/SHARE procedures.

Schoenthaler will be returning to the Office of General Counsel, where she serves as senior university counsel. “We are immensely grateful to Lauren for her tireless efforts in leading the university’s response to sexual harassment and sexual violence,” Drell said. “Her commitment, her energy and her deep care for the well-being of students have been so important in our efforts to make improvements and create the campus culture we aspire to.”

Shirley J. Everett

Everett has been at Stanford since 1991 and leads Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE), an organization with more than 800 FTE responsible for student housing, dining and executive services, conferences and hospitality and auxiliaries (including catering and cafes).

Everett leads one of the most diverse organizations on campus and brings extensive experience managing a complex enterprise that spans more than a third of the campus physical plant and provides essential support for members of the university community. She is passionate about advancing equity and inclusion for staff. Within R&DE, Everett has created numerous staff development programs to enhance the lives of staff, such as Stepping Stones for Success, and apprenticeship programs that allow workers to enhance their skills and advance in their careers.

For many years, Everett has been deeply engaged in initiatives to bring forward the experiences and voices of staff of color at Stanford and has advised and mentored staff across the campus. Everett serves as a member of the Black Community Council, appointed by President Marc Tessier-Lavigne, which is working to create accountability by assessing progress and reporting to university leadership on how Stanford can address the needs and concerns of the Black community.

She also is a leader in the IDEAL Staff Advisory Committee that is advising Vice President for Human Resources Elizabeth Zacharias on making Stanford more equitable and inclusive for all staff, especially staff of color.

Everett also facilitated conversations between the provost and Black staff in the fall of 2020, intended as a catalyst for change in response to the national events following the murder of George Floyd. Starting May 1, Everett will take on the additional role of senior adviser to the provost on equity and inclusion.