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January 2021 News Perspective Online

Diversity Officer

Herbert Coleman has been named the Diversity Officer for Perkins School of Theology, as part of the inaugural class of 15 Diversity Officers for SMU.

Maria Dixon Hall, SMU’s Chief Diversity Officer and Senior Advisor to the President for Cultural Intelligence, recently announced the names of the officers. Together, they will form the University Diversity Council that will work to ensure that the university’s efforts are coordinated across campus.

“Each officer will serve as counsel to the deans and administrators leading their respective areas and will serve as a resource during the search and hiring process of new staff and faculty,” said Hall. “Additionally, each officer will serve as the lead trainer for the CIQ@SMU curriculum for their appointed school and unit.” (CIQ@SMU is the university’s campus cultural intelligence initiative.)

Coleman joined Perkins in 2007 as Director of Recruitment and Admissions, transitioning in May 2018 to his current position as Director of Retention and Student Success. He arrived with several years of experience in student recruiting, as well as service as a Methodist pastor in Philadelphia and a community organizer in Washington, D.C. while pursuing his Master of Divinity degree. Coleman’s undergraduate degree was in statistics and he spent ten years working for the Treasury Department at the U.S. Mint.

“Mr. Coleman’s role is very important to Perkins and to the University,” said Dean Craig Hill. “Perkins has had a history of cultivating a diverse community, and this new appointment will help ensure that tradition is maintained and furthered.”