OU hires interim diversity official
The University of Oklahoma announced Wednesday that Jane Irungu will serve as the interim associate vice president for university community beginning Monday. A search committee composed of 10 faculty and staff members submitted their recommendations to OU President Jim Gallogly for his selection.
Gallogly said he is grateful to Irungu "for taking on this incredibly important role within our university." She will have oversight of all diversity programs within the university and will work directly with the president, college deans and other leaders to broaden the pool of applicants for faculty and staff positions.
Irungu serves as the executive director for the Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies, a division of University Outreach, where she supervises the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in the United States. She also aids in the design and implementation of curriculum for the First Year Diversity Experience, which is provided to more than 4,000 freshmen students each year.
A national search for the chief diversity officer position will begin this fall. Meanwhile, Irungu will fill the position left vacant by the resignation of Jabar Shumate.
Oklahoma City University welcomed incoming freshmen Wednesday morning in the school’s traditional matriculation convocation ceremony. The procession began at the McDaniel University Center and continued to the Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center for the ceremony.
President Martha Burger and the faculty, dressed in academic regalia, welcomed the new undergraduates. Students who are members of the university’s choruses wore blue robes.
Spokesman Rod Jones said on Wednesday the freshmen enrollment stood at 375.