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DEI Advisory Council Chair Dale Caldwell

Fairleigh Dickinson University President Christopher Capuano announced the creation of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Advisory Council in September 2020 to identify concerns, make recommendations, and develop initiatives that will help FDU become a model community rich in inclusiveness and diversity.

Dale Caldwell, Executive Director of the Rothman Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, has been named council chair.

“If the University can become a model of diversity, equity and inclusion, it has the potential to significantly increase its enrollment of students and engagement of employees,” says Caldwell. “The FDU Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council has the potential to support the President and Board of Trustees in implementing plans that will enhance the University’s educational, operational and financial success.”

Current DEI Advisory Council focus areas:

  • Developing a process for FDU leadership to hear the concerns of the University family and adequately address DEI related issues.
  • Ensuring that the appropriate DEI language is included in the FDU Strategic Plan.
  • Advising the President on ways to ensure that DEI is infused into the curriculum, student recruitment and the hiring and training of employees.

Being a “voice for the voiceless” 

Caldwell’s late father, Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell, Jr., knew and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his mother worked as a public school teacher for over 50 years. Growing up around the Civil Rights Movement, Caldwell developed a passion for being a “voice to voiceless.”

“As Chair, I am excited by the opportunity to lead a group of incredible people who share my passion for supporting and empowering people who have not experienced the type of equity and inclusion that they deserve,” he says.