The oval at dusk.

Ohio State Establishes Task Force on Racism and Racial Inequities

Back to News
July 28, 2020

Ohio State established the Task Force on Racism and Racial Inequities to provide tangible recommendations to create a more equitable, healthy, supportive and nurturing community. 

The 17-member task force includes representation by students, faculty, staff and senior leaders and it is committed to broad engagement across the university community. Joyce Chen, associate professor of agricultural, environmental and development economics and a Sustainability Institute affiliated faculty member, is serving as a member of the task force. 

The co-chairs are James L. Moore III, vice provost for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer, and Tom Gregoire, dean of the College of Social Work. These co-chairs have committed to work that focuses on engagement and action.

Other elements of the charge include hosting inclusive, candid conversations about racism; identifying aspects of Ohio State that contribute to inequities and differential outcomes; identifying effective practices that address these problems and transcending prior approaches.

Vice Provost Moore and Dean Gregoire are working with the task force members to begin their work and develop a process that invites the broader Ohio State community to participate in the discussion.

“We will seize this moment by leveraging our Buckeye community to make lasting change. We are committed to engaging our Ohio State community and searching for meaningful action,” Vice Provost Moore and Dean Gregoire said.

See the task force website for the full charge and list of members. Read more about the universities commitment to addressing racism and racial inequities.