Bobbie Porter, a career diversity and inclusion practitioner with over a decade of experience, has been named California State University, Dominguez Hills’ (CSUDH) first vice president and chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer. She will begin her new role on July 1.
“CSUDH has an unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our engagement with this critical work demands an additional leader with the intellect, passion, and vision for diversity growth. As such, I am delighted to welcome Dr. Bobbie Porter to our senior executive administration team,” said CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham.
“The position of chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer requires great agility and creativity from someone grounded in historical narratives yet not tethered to them. Dr. Porter has demonstrated such transformational leadership in her previous positions, and we are proud to invite her to join the Dominguez Hills community. Her commitment to broader levels of diversity and inclusive excellence will be instrumental in helping CSUDH become the model urban university we aspire to be.”
Porter comes to CSUDH after four years as chief diversity officer and assistant vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). There, she worked to advance the university’s commitment to global diversity through faculty recruitment and retention, cultural education, equal opportunity compliance, and strategic initiatives to create a climate of equity and inclusion at the campus.
Prior to CSUF, Porter served as the chief equity officer for the Tennessee Board of Regents, the state’s 46-institution university, community college, and technical college system, where she focused on increasing access and fostering a climate of inclusivity and belonging, particularly among underrepresented student populations. Porter also held leadership roles within the Institutional Equity Office at Tennessee State University, and coordinated education and outreach efforts for the Tennessee Human Rights Commission.
Reporting directly to Parham as a member of his senior leadership team, Porter will play a vital role in ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion are not only practiced, but embraced throughout all aspects of the CSUDH community.”¯ She will be responsible for leading the development of a diversity and inclusion strategic plan; establishing infrastructure for data collection and communication around equity and inclusion; developing recruitment and retention programs for diverse faculty and staff; and fostering community partnerships.”¯The position also oversees the Office of Equity and Inclusion, which includes Title IX and Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation.
“I am honored to join the CSU Dominguez Hills campus community. The campus has a rich history rooted in social justice and I am excited to get to work amplifying the efforts that have been in place and identifying new and innovative ways to move the work forward,” said Porter.”¯ “I look forward to hitting the ground running, engaging with the campus community, and taking the first steps toward cultivating a shared vision for diversity, equity, and inclusion at CSUDH.”
In addition to her years of experience, Porter is an active and respected member of the national and regional higher education community of diversity and inclusion professionals, and lends her expertise to various local agencies. She is on the National Advisory Committee for the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education, serves as co-chair of the Southern California Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, and has been a fellow of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. She was recently selected as a participant in the highly selective Aspiring Leaders Program hosted by Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions. Serving her local community, Porter sits on the Community Advisory Board of Orange County Human Relations and the Orange County Business Council’s Diversity Committee.
Porter is a double graduate of the University of Memphis, with a Doctor of Education in Leadership and Bachelor of Arts in Communications. She also holds a Master of Public Administration from Tennessee State University.
