J. Camille Hall, Ph.D., LCSW, has been appointed as the new vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion at UMKC. She will begin work here Aug. 22.
Hall comes to UMKC from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, where she has served as a tenured professor and associate dean for equity and inclusion in the College of Social Work. Her research focuses on risk and resilience among Black Americans and multicultural competence. Her more than 25 years of administrative and clinical social work experience includes private practice and service as a clinical social work officer in the United States Army Reserve.
“I am excited to become a part of the campus and Kansas City communities and am honored to be selected to lead our inclusion and diversity efforts,” Hall said. “I am impressed by the depth of expertise, commitment and community engagement shown by UMKC stakeholders towards inclusive excellence. My goal is to foster a community-developed vision for inclusion and diversity that ensures all members of the UMKC community can bring their authentic selves to campus every day. I will work to build strong relationships based on trust, honesty and transparency to advance this important work.”
Hall received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Social Work from New Mexico State University, Las Cruces; and a Ph.D. from Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts. She is a 2011 Higher Education Resource Services Women's Leadership Institute alumna and a member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.
“As vice chancellor, Dr. Hall will play a vitally important role in the UMKC leadership team,” said Chancellor Mauli Agrawal. “She will guide the work we all share in maintaining and enhancing the commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion that is thoroughly woven into the fabric of our university community.”
The UMKC commitment to diversity and inclusion is featured prominently in the university’s Mission Statement and Statement of Values, and is one of five pillars in the UMKC Strategic Plan. The UMKC Division of Diversity and Inclusion promotes diversity and inclusion as a critical factor for student, staff and faculty success, and provides leadership and guidance to campus-wide efforts to ensure that commitment continues to be an important driver of excellence in higher education.
The division guides the work of multiple campus initiatives, including the Chancellor’s Diversity Council, the Diversity Advocates program and the Faculty Diversity Dialogues series. The division also sponsors multiple community engagement programs such as the Critical Conversations series, the Martin Luther King Jr., Pride and César Chávez lectures, and the Women of Color Leadership Conference.