After two forums earlier this week, UCCS hosted the final forum for candidate Bettina Moore in the search for the new vice chancellor for inclusive strategy and chief of staff on Dec. 13.
According to the job description posted on the CU Careers website, the vice chancellor for inclusive strategy and chief of staff will be acting as a campus-wide resource for advancing the university’s mission and inclusive strategic goals. As it is an inaugural position, the person selected will shape the future of the department. The position will be paid an annual salary of $160,000-$200,000.
The new position is part of a merger that UCCS started during the summer to save an estimate of $400,000 a year, according to previous Scribe reporting.
“The combination of this position is a testament to the skills I have gained … This position is essential to make demonstrated change,” Moore said.
Moore is the acting senior equity officer for the Colorado Community College System. She works closely with the system’s chancellor, overseeing equity reports and training for 13 community colleges.
At CCCS, she also builds relationships with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) and Hispanic serving institutions (HSI).
Moore served as a director of engineering student support at UCCS, then ran a HSI STEM program at CSU Pueblo. At both universities, she worked closely with students, mentoring them through programs such as the Society of Women Engineers, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers.
If selected, she plans to bring her knowledge of inclusive transformation strategies to UCCS. Her strategies include emphasizing the importance of diversity, equity and inclusivity through bringing awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcements to issues.
“Equity is embedded in everything we do … Using this framework for inclusive change management assures that equity is embedded at an individual and organizational level,” Moore said.
There has been a large push to dismantle DEI efforts in higher education, according to Moore. According to the Council on Social Work Education, a national association that represents social work education in the U.S., there have been 86 anti-DEI legislative bills that have been presented, but not passed, across 28 states and federally since 2023. 14 have become law, and 54 have been tabled or failed to pass.
There are no bills being pushed in Colorado, the organization shows.
Because of this, Moore emphasized the importance of keeping diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education.
“One way to combat this is to embed equity work into all that we do … If we do not, we may lose offices, personnel and programs, as has happened in other states,” Moore said.
The search committee is accepting feedback forms for each candidate. The forms are due on Dec. 17 by 5 p.m. and will inform the committee’s decision.
This article is the third edition of a three-part series for the Vice Chancellor for Inclusive Strategy and Chief of Staff forums. Click here for the previous article about candidate Robin Parent and here for the first article about candidate Alphonso Atkins Jr.
Vice Chancellor for Inclusive Strategy and Chief of Staff candidate, Bettina Moore. Photo by Josiah Dolan.