Dean for Institutional Diversity
Crystal Ann Williams
Dean for Institutional Diversity
Associate Professor of
Creative Writing
503/517-7888
The dean for institutional diversity is the chief diversity officer of the college. The dean reports to the president and works closely with the dean of faculty, Reed’s chief academic officer. The dean for institutional diversity oversees the functions of the office for institutional diversity.
As chief diversity officer, the dean’s goals are primarily to
- create institutional vision and strategy supporting the college’s commitment to being a diverse and inclusive learning, teaching, and working environment;
- implement systems and infrastructure to support, encourage, and promote those strategies and goals;
- provide leadership by working with the president’s cabinet and senior staff to ensure that all aspects of college life reflect the fundamental principals of intellectual pluralism espoused in the college’s founding documents;
- develop relationships in the broader Portland community which align with Reed’s commitment to intellectual pluralism and which promote the college’s dedication to academic rigor;
- provide opportunities for Reed students, staff, faculty, and intersecting communities to deepen their understanding and knowledge of a diverse array of peoples, ideas, and areas of intellectual inquiry.
Appointed on July 1, 2011, Crystal Ann Williams is Reed’s first dean for institutional diversity. Also an associate professor of creative writing, she is the author of three collections of poetry, most recently Troubled Tongues, winner of the Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award and finalist for the Oregon Book Award. Crystal Williams is the recipient of fellowships and grants from the Oregon Arts Commission, Literary Arts, the MacDowell Arts Colony, and the Barbara Deming/Money For Women Fund. Her poetry has appeared in journals such as The American Poetry Review, Ploughshares, The Sun, The Indiana Review, 5 AM, and Callaloo. She has been a member of the Reed College faculty since 2000.