Keena Williams is no stranger to Albion College.
Williams graduated from the private Michigan college in 2009 and took on various positions at the school before she was recently tapped to serve as the college’s new chief belonging officer and Title IX coordinator.
As chief belonging officer, Williams will serve in Dr. Mathew Johnson’s presidential cabinet. She’s been tasked with the responsibility of not only promoting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts but helping all students, staff and faculty feel comfortable on campus.
“And so, my role is to hold people accountable for the role that they play in diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) work and, ultimately, belonging for our faculty, staff and students,” Williams said.
Albion’s student population has transformed over the last five years, dramatically rising from 15% students of color to more than 42% students of color. This academic year’s freshman class included 56% students of color, said Johnson.
“As numbers grew and I came on board, it became clear to me that that approach was not sufficient for the work that needed to be done for students to feel like they belong here at the college,” Johnson said. “For us, belonging is the goal. It is beyond diversity, inclusion and equity. And so we need an office that is sufficiently empowered to push the institution to make the institutional-level changes that we need to make so that everyone feels like they belong here at Albion.”
For Albion, belonging includes dealing with issues of sexism and Title IX issues, Johnson said.
