Although most of the recent construction on campus is still underway and nowhere near close to wrapping up, the administrative staff has new additions to its roster.

At the top of that totem pole, of course, is our new President, Ora Hirsch Pescovitz. One of the first things Pescovitz has done in her short time here is create a new administrative position – a chief diversity officer. Vice President of Student Affairs, Glenn McIntosh, was recently chosen to fill the position.

“For the last two years, I’ve served as the co-leader for the diversity council so over the last year there was talk about creating a chief diversity officer,” McIntosh said. “I had been marginally involved in those discussions but when president Pescovitz came on… [she] gave me a call and essentially said that your background speaks to having experience in this kind of work, would you be interested in serving in the chief diversity role in addition to my role as vice president of student affairs.”

McIntosh has worked at Oakland University for 22 years and has contributed to the creation of several academic and social programs for student success during that time. His positions and achievements at OU include, though are not limited to: establishing the award-winning trustee academic success scholarship program, founding director of Center for Multicultural Initiatives (formerly known as office of minority equity) as well as assistant vice president and dean of students.

“Primarily as the chief diversity officer, I’ll be responsible for creating a vision of leadership management and strategic plans of all university diversity and inclusive initiatives,” McIntosh said.

“We’re talking about race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, physical ability, religion, socio-economic status – all of those are elements that make up diversity at a college so we’re trying to impact the experience of all people… So the idea is that I’ll be responsible for collaborating with faculty, staff and students on the development of diversity related programs, education plans and the communications across the campus,” McIntosh added.

According to McIntosh, the diversity council he supervises will provide different programs for students of diverse backgrounds to participate in, which speak to issues and challenges they face in everyday life.

Aside from academia, McIntosh has also been a great supporter of OU Athletics. A former body builder, he has volunteered to condition sports teams over the years. His biggest advice pertaining to mental and physical strength is to put your nose to the grindstone and pursue your passion.

“If you have a passion, turn it into a goal and be intentionally persistent in pursuit on making it happen,” he said. Relentlessly pursue it. You have to be relentless in anything that you really have a passion to do.”

It is important to remember that as inspiring as Mr. McIntosh is, he gets inspired by others too. But not by people like Arnold. By people like you.

“[My favorite part about OU] is the students… their energy is contagious for me,” McIntosh said. “Over the years I’ve watched it become more and more diverse in so many different ways and I appreciate it and encourage students to really grow into their destiny with the safety and confidence knowing it’s okay to express themselves.”