Dr. Kelvin Rutledge has been named Associate Vice President for Institutional Inclusive Strategies and Change Management, the first person to hold this new position, which reports to Dr. Diane Ariza, Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (VPDEI). Rutledge, who is currently Southern’s Director of the Office of Career and Professional Development, will begin in this new role on Feb. 11, 2022.
As associate vice president, Rutledge will provide strategic leadership and support to the VPDEI to develop an infrastructure and best practices, both within the Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and university wide. He will work to embed structure and processes that will be measurable, enduring, and hold the members of the Southern community accountable for success in creating an antiracist, equitable, and inclusive institution.
He will manage divisional administrative units; oversee the content of the DEI website; help develop a data plan or institutional equity scorecard that reflects progress or gaps in strategic diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts; and work with divisions/departments to create equitable and inclusive policies and procedures that support minoritized populations.
Rutledge’s academic, community, and professional experience are well-suited to his new role as a member of the Division of DEI. He has served on various equity and inclusion boards and worked in career development at Florida State University and the University of Georgia. While leading Southern’s Office of Career and Professional Development since 2018, he has created partnerships and employment opportunities both on campus and in the external community that have positively impacted student success.
Rutledge has also been an active participant in DEI initiatives, serving on the Racial and Intersectional Justice Group, SCSU Social Justice Retreat, Diversity Dialogues, SCSU Fall 2020 Teach-In, and Racial Justice Summit. This past year, he helped launch the Integrated Justice and Social Change Collaborative, which he will be overseeing in his new role as associate vice president.
Rutledge earned a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology and political science from Austin Peay State University, a Master of Science degree in higher education from Florida State University, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in higher education from Florida State University.
