In November, NADOHE launched the 2022 Standards of Professional Practice Institute (SPPI) for early- and mid-career diversity leaders in higher education. The program is held virtually and will meet twice a month until NADOHE’s Annual Conference in April. This professional development institute is modeled after NADOHE’s Standards of Professional Practice.
Led by NADOHE Board Member Clyde Wilson Pickett, Ed.D., vice chancellor for equity, diversity, and inclusion at the University of Pittsburgh, nearly 60 SPPI participants are connecting and meeting with colleagues looking to advance their careers. The cohort will study the 16 standards in the Professional Practice handbook, along with an unparalleled professional development curriculum.
“The SPPI sets us apart from other organizations in that once you’re a part of this network, you’re a part of this network forever. It’s not only a preparatory opportunity, but also a community,” Pickett said. “To see colleagues from all around the country continue to grow their work and further advance the role of the CDO keeps me motivated to forge ahead with our efforts and moreover helps to sustain and progress my own career endeavors.”
Alumni of SPPI often speak highly of the program, calling it one of the most beneficial professional development experiences of their careers.
“NADOHE's SPPI was the most relevant, affirming, and comprehensive professional development experience for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) professionals that I have attended,” said 2019 attendee Renée Smith-Maddox, Ph.D., diversity liaison officer at the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. “The experienced faculty were practitioners and scholars. They created the conditions for the participants to dialogue about their professional practice and the skills needed to be an effective DEI practitioner. I emerged from the Institute better prepared to lead impactful DEI initiatives and connected to a new network of institutional changemakers.”
Registration for the Institute launches each spring after the Annual Conference, and the Standards of Professional Practice can be viewed year-round on our website. Follow our social media and #SPPI22 for biweekly updates from the faculty and attendees of the program.
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The National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) is the preeminent voice for chief diversity officers. As the leader of the national conversation on diversity, equity, and inclusion, it investigates, influences, and innovates to transform higher education so that inclusive excellence lives at its core.