Updated as of 2:09 p.m. June 2 to include comment from Clark.
Elon University has named Naeemah Clark associate provost for academic inclusive excellence.
Clark has worked at the university since 2009 and became a full-time professor of cinema and television arts in 2018.
The new role within the office of the provost is responsible for promoting inclusivity in academic spaces, supporting diverse faculty and guiding campus initiatives and programs. Clark said this includes the new advanced equity requirement added to the core curriculum.
“That includes making sure that we're changing some of our courses or creating new courses that are focused on racial equity and that we are developing faculty who can teach that content really, really well because it's hard to do that work,” Clark said.
Clark has chaired the Core Curriculum council and directed the School of Communications Fellows Program, as well as served in the LGBTQIA advisory council, the inclusive community council and the task force for LGBTQIA faculty, staff and students.
Clark also said being inclusive is not limited to race and includes gender identity, ability and neurodiversity.
“We're thinking really about what identities are present on our campus and how are we including them as we're thinking about curriculum and faculty development and staff development,” Clark said.
Clark is a J. Earl Danieley Distinguished Professor, the department chair for cinema and television arts, director of assessment and accreditation for the School of Communications and a member of the university promotion and tenure committee.
In 2021, Clark was appointed into the role of presidential administrative fellow. She also co-authored a textbook, “Diversity in U.S. Mass Media,” and edited the book “African American in the History of U.S. Media.”
“I think that for me as someone who has been working in this area for a long time, I think it's a great sign that the university is leaning into this work by creating a position,” Clark said.