Unity College鈥檚 first-ever Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Dr. Rana Johnson, brings a lifetime of experience in and love for higher education to the new position, created to inculturate what it truly means to be a global citizen at Unity College.
The office is expected to pioneer new collaborative efforts among campus entities, while also working on Unity鈥檚 existing diversity initiatives, according to President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury. One of Johnson鈥檚 first tasks is to spend time listening to individuals in the campus community to assess the college鈥檚 current readiness for students from diverse backgrounds. He believes Johnson鈥檚 depth of experience in diversity and inclusion administration, policy, training, research, and student engagement are second-to-none, making her the perfect choice for this important new position that affects every student, faculty, and staff member at Unity College.
鈥淭here are many institutions that make the mistake that diversity and inclusion is somehow an isolated department that only works with multicultural students. That is a fatal preconception,鈥� President Khoury said. 鈥淲hat Dr. Johnson brings to the table is the idea that every student at Unity College, every faculty member at Unity College, every staff member, has to be part of this programming. This office will become integral to graduating global citizens, whether you are from Aroostook County or you are from Chicago, regardless of our backgrounds.鈥�
Johnson estimates that she knew she needed to pursue a college degree at an early age.听 Her mother, who completed the 10th grade, taught her to read and write at the age of 3 or 4.听 She said her mom is the strongest woman she鈥檚 ever known, and was 鈥渧ery intentional about introducing me to education, and encouraging me to acquire as much education as possible.鈥�
The written worlds of poetry and literature were also some of Johnson鈥檚 earliest teachers. From a very early age, she never stopped reading, and still tries to find time to read as much as possible when she is not working. One of her favorite adult authors has been Maya Angelou.
While a few of Johnson鈥檚 siblings had the opportunity to attend college, she was the first in her family to complete a postsecondary degree, securing a bachelor鈥檚 at Spalding University in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. While she鈥檚 had mentors over the years, Johnson said it was really her family who supported her through it all: her accomplishments were their accomplishments. She now has nieces and nephews who have enrolled in postsecondary education听 — 听 two nieces have earned bachelor degrees, one has earned a master鈥檚 degree, and another is currently completing her master鈥檚 at Pennsylvania State University.
鈥淚t only takes one person to step outside of the circle to change their family circumstances by furthering their education. It鈥檚 important to reach back and offer direction, encouragement and support to family members, as well as members in our local communities,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淚 understood that my degree was not simply for myself. I knew that I had an obligation and responsibility to be part of a bigger picture — to make higher education available for individuals that are not often invited to occupy a space at the table of opportunity.鈥�
The pursuit of her doctorate took Johnson to the University of Kentucky, where her dissertation research focused on adaptation strategies to retain and graduate diverse students from traditionally white institutions, inspired by the campus environmental struggles of the school鈥檚 diverse doctoral students. Johnson now comes to Unity College from The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, where she has spent almost 20 years helping to guide efforts to ensure the success of students that have been historically underrepresented in undergraduate and graduate education.
鈥淚 love the United States, and higher education, because this is the only place in the world where you can grow up in an impoverished or financially challenged home but, through hard work and higher education, change your circumstances and offer hope to a whole community of individuals,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淚 find myself in a unique position to be a voice for those that are voiceless, and to give hope and encouragement to those that don鈥檛 understand or know how to access the higher educational system. I am honored and delighted to be a part of the Unity College family and to embrace the goals and objectives of my colleagues and its student body.鈥�
