Barbara A. Lofton, associate dean at Sam M. Walton College of Business, is joining the business school’s collaborative board for diversity, equity and inclusion and will serve as co-ambassador for the conference.
Barbara Lofton, Associate Dean of the Dr. Barbara A. Lofton Office of Diversity & Inclusion at Sam M. Walton College of Business, is best known for promoting diversity and inclusion at Walton College on many fronts for minority students, faculty and staff. Now she’s casting a wider net by helping build a national organization and joining the board of directors of the business school’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Collaborative to expand her impact.
Lofton will serve as conference co-ambassador for the business school’s DEI Collaborative Board, which plans to “advance diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in higher education by supporting professional development, influencing curriculum and contributing to research and service in the… DEI room contributes”. at business schools across the country.
Lofton is no stranger to driving diversity and inclusion at U of A and other schools throughout the Southeastern Conference. She has been Director of the Diversity Office at Walton College since 1996. The office was established in 1994, making it the oldest diversity office at a business school in the SEC. For this reason, Lofton has traveled to other SEC business schools to encourage other business colleges to provide training and advice on how to implement diversity and inclusion strategies on campus.
“With her extensive experience supporting diversity and inclusion at Walton College, Dr. Lofton is an excellent addition to the board,” said Matt Waller, Dean of Walton College. “She brings expertise, talent and above all passion to create a level playing field in school and beyond.”
“I hope that other higher education institutions will take this bold step to make diversity and inclusion an important part of their organizations and accrediting bodies,” said Lofton. “Some organizations and accreditation bodies have diversity and inclusion as part of their structure, but embedding such requirements as a proactive step in this area will lead to better outcomes in our higher education institutions.”
Business School DEI Collaborative’s mission is to “promote diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in higher education by hosting conferences to discuss best practice and programs, present awards and serve as a resource for educators and business people, who are interested in expanding opportunities for historically underrepresented groups.”
Learn more about the collaboration at www.busdeic.org.
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