The University Diversity Council (UDC) was formed in 2021 as the culmination of efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the university. The evolution of this work and the strategic groups who championed it are outlined below.

President's Commission for Inclusive Excellence (2014-2020)

The President's Commission for Inclusive Excellence (PCIE) was formed to better support and sustain strategic diversity engagement at the University of Vermont. The name Inclusive Excellence comes from the Association of American Colleges and Universities, which explored how institutions of higher education could infuse the goal of a more diverse and inclusive campus into their work to achieve excellence in the academic and community experiences within higher education (Williams, Berger, & McClendon, 2005).

PCIE Reports

PCIE Annual Report - 2019 (PDF)
PCIE Annual Report - 2018 (PDF)

Letters to the UVM Community

June 2019: Statement Regarding UVM and Eugenics (PDF)
April 2016: President's Letter (PDF)
April 2015: President's Letter (PDF)
October 2014: President's Letter (PDF)

Commissions and Tasksforces for Strategic Diversity

Prior to the PCIE, five Presidential Commissions and a taskforce advised on strategic diversity issues at the University of Vermont. These commissions and taskforce included the:

  • President’s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion
  • President’s Commission on Racial Diversity
  • President’s Commission on the Status of Women
  • President’s Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equity
  • President’s Commission on Social Change
  • Campus Accessibility Task Force

At the request of the former Presidential Commissions, a team of external consultants reviewed the Presidential Commission structure in Spring 2013. As a result of this review, the team recommended that the five Presidential Commissions be restructured into one advisory board. The President of the University of Vermont supported this recommendation for one advisory board and called for the creation of the PCIE.

With the support of the Vice President for Human Resources, Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, the PCIE Planning Workgroup was formed to develop a proposal based on the recommendation to create the PCIE. This proposal was reviewed by and shared with major University stakeholders including: the outgoing chairpersons of the Presidential Commissions, the leadership from the diversity and equity units, and the Education Policy and Institutional Resources Committee of the Board of Trustees during the February 7, 2014 board meeting.

In Summer 2014, the PCIE Transition Team was formed to facilitate the transition from the Presidential Commissions to the PCIE. The formation of this new commission commenced in Fall 2014.