TCU’s new chief inclusion officer said Monday that one of the first things he wants to do is talk with students to get multiple viewpoints on diversity at TCU.
The Student Government Association, the Faculty Senate and the Staff Assembly should all expect a visit from Dr. Darron Turner, who was named to the newly appointed position on Monday by Chancellor Victor Boschini.
“I have to say when I envisioned this position, he was the very first person who came to mind,” Boschini wrote in an email. “He is well-known and respected by students, faculty and staff – making him, in my estimation, an ideal person for the job.”
Turner, who played football for TCU in the 1980s, has most recently served as associate vice chancellor for student affairs.
He said he thinks interactions with the TCU campus is vitally important to his position and role.
“I’ll get the chance to hear a wide variety of constituents talk about how we can make TCU better and what their role is in helping to do that,” he said.
Turner has been on TCU’s campus since 1994 and has worked in various positions at TCU, starting out as the coordinator for minority affairs.
“He knows TCU very well. He has made so many positive contributions to TCU and he has the qualifications,” the Director of Inclusiveness and Intercultural Services Timeka Gordon said. “He is the person who can definitely move us in the right direction.”
He said he has always worked with efforts pertaining to diversity and inclusiveness, working in diverse environments and dealing with difficult diversity-based issues.
“Creating a more inclusive campus is work that always needs to be done,” Rev. Angela Kaufman, the minister of the university, said. “We’re always working to become the best version of ourselves; not only as individuals but as a community. He’s going to help us do that work.”
Turner said his role is ultimately work with students, faculty and staff to ensure diversity and inclusion is represented properly in and outside the classroom.
“It’s easy sometimes to see TCU as the world and in some aspects it is, but in many aspects it’s very different,” he said. “You have an environment where people are trying to take care and look after you and when you walk out of here, you’re an independent and you’re going to have to figure out in the workplace that it’s going to be a little different and you’re going to see a variety of everybody in the workplace when you walk out of here.”
He also said he is glad students are engaging in the conversation to talk about diversity issues and to help toward improving diversity and inclusion.
“I think it’s important students talk about what they’re going through and what they’re feeling,” Turner said. “I think it’s always important students play a major role in how the university goes about its business, because it’s about them.”
Turner said he does not want the new position to be about him, but he wants it to be focused on TCU overall.
When asked if he had any further comments, his last words: “Go Frogs!”
