Meet OU’s New Institutional Equity Officer
Shaniqua Crawford recently joined the University of Oklahoma as its new institutional equity officer, equal opportunity officer and Title IX coordinator. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing the university’s affirmative action and equal opportunity compliance efforts, as well as investigating complaints of sexual misconduct, discrimination and harassment. Read on to learn more about Crawford and her role at OU.
Name: Shaniqua Crawford
Title: Institutional Equity Officer, Equal Opportunity Officer and Title IX Coordinator
Q: In your role as institutional equity officer, equal opportunity officer and Title IX coordinator, how do you plan on helping OU achieve its goal of becoming a place of belonging?
A: I plan on helping OU become a place of belonging by increasing transparency and building trust within the campus community. This will be done through education, training and other preventative measures.
Q: What first interested you in this particular area of higher education?
A: The idea of being able to effect change for such an important population of individuals – the future leaders of tomorrow. Additionally, being able to utilize a holistic approach to address the issues related to this line of work, which really goes a long way in shifting the culture of an institution.
Q: What makes OU different from other places you have worked?
A: The strong dedication from alumni, who have returned to OU to work, thus paying it forward by bringing their skills and life experiences back to ensure the growth of the institution.
Q: What are some of your immediate priorities in your new role?
A: My immediate priorities are completing assessments of policies and procedures of our areas of responsibility, building relationships with all our campus constituents to ensure collaboration and communication, and being of service to campus partners as needed.
Q: What drew you to the University of Oklahoma?
A: The authentic desire to progress the institution was apparent to me in conversations, the reporting structure of my role and the resources dedicated to this area.
Q: What is one thing people might not know about your role at OU?
A: The Institutional Equity Office supports all constituents – faculty, students and staff – on all three campuses.
Q: Where can people go to learn more about OU’s Institutional Equity Office?
A: To learn more, people may visit the Institutional Equity Office and Title IX website. There, people can learn more about the structure of our office, campus resources and policy/grievance procedures. We are in the process of updating our website, so people can look for that in the near future.
Article Published: Wednesday, January 27, 2021