The President’s Diversity Advisory Council (PDAC) monitors and assesses the Diversity Strategic Plan. It also proposes new initiatives to the President’s Staff to enhance equity and inclusion at Muhlenberg.
What is PDAC?
The President’s Diversity Advisory Council (PDAC) is a college-wide body charged with monitoring all aspects of institutional diversity pertaining to students, staff and faculty and providing recommendations to the President on strategies to advance the College’s strategic priority to become a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable community that promotes a sense of belonging for all. The council brings together faculty, staff, student, and alumni leaders to serve as a collaborative hub of strategic thinking on diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging (DEIB).
What are the specific charges of PDAC?
- advising the President on strategies to enhance diversity and inclusion (broadly defined) at the college
- monitoring progress on diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging initiatives
- cataloging DEIB efforts across the institution
- making priority recommendations to the President
- making policy and/or policy change recommendations to the President
- regularly communicating with campus constituencies on diversity and inclusion work of the college and inviting community engagement
- monitoring and updating the College’s diversity website
- keeping the President updated on campus developments related to diversity and inclusion and recommend other campus constituents, leaders, and/or committees who should be informed
- providing a campus voice for diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging issues
2024-25 PDAC Goals
- Compile and communicate the variety of development opportunities available to students, staff, faculty, and alumni to strengthen DEIB leadership capacity and to recommend a process for assessing the effectiveness of these programs
- Benchmark and recommend a model for a College DEIB dashboard
- Review the current College DEIB web pages and recommend revisions to improve communication of initiatives and opportunities.
How is PDAC membership determined?
The Council consists of students, faculty and staff from across campus whose positions or co-curricular involvement are tied to the College's initiatives on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. The president appoints the Council's chair(s), who then make recommendations for additional members from senior leadership, academic affairs, college life, admissions, alumni, the Multicultural Advisory Board and Religious and Spiritual Life.
President's Diversity Advisory Council Members
- Ranajoy Ray-Chaudhuri, Council Co-Chair; Associate Professor, Accounting, Business, Economics & Finance, Director, Muhlenberg Scholars Honors Program
- Robin Riley-Casey, Council Co-Chair, Associate Dean of Students, Director, Student Diversity Initiatives
- Teigan Brown '25, Religious and Spiritual Life representative and SGA representative
- Ira Blum, Director of Hillel at the Leffell Center for Jewish Student Life
- Gretchen Gotthard, Dean of Academic Life, Professor of Neuroscience
- Beth Halpern, Director, Community Engagement
- Bret Kobler, Alumni Representative
- Todd Lineburger, Vice President, Communications and Marketing
- Janelle Neubauer, Chaplain
- Leticia Robles-Moreno, Assistant Professor, Theatre and Performance Studies
- Jordanna Sprayberry, Professor of Biology and Neuroscience, Chair, Neuroscience
- Courtney Stephens, Dean of Students
- Jennifer Storm, Director of Equity and Title IX
- Baron Vanderburg, Associate Director of Admissions & Director of Access, Inclusion and Diversity Initiatives
- Jill Walsh, Vice President, Human Resources
