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Welcome back to the new school year! 

Over the summer, three members of the Division of Inclusive Excellence’s leadership team departed 吃瓜网 for new opportunities. We are saddened to see our colleagues leave campus; however, we accept that change is a part of our wholeness, and we celebrate their body of work and extensive list of accomplishments that they leave behind.

We also want to reassure the Whitman community that these departures were by no means related to the institutional climate, nor were their transitions part of some institutional capitulation to the political winds or an institutional cost-savings strategy. The college’s commitment to Inclusive Excellence is unwavering. A strategic pillar. Our search for our future colleagues who will step into these positions is currently underway. 

As Interim Vice President for Inclusive Excellence, I will be lending direct support to Inclusive Excellence staff members, as well as to the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life as we await the arrival of our new Interfaith Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life, the rev. seigen johnson. (We will make a more formal introduction in the coming weeks.)

We have assembled a strong interim team that will continue to work with student groups and support their programming. 

Updates From Identity and Belonging

The Identity and Belonging area includes primarily student-facing units that contribute programmatically to the campus climate, facilitate the exploration and development of student identities, and provide advocacy, support and resources for marginalized and/or minoritized communities. These areas work collaboratively to aid the entire Whitman student body in better understanding themselves and their relationships to systems of oppression, as well as the development and delivery of structured opportunities for community healing, connection, and Liberation.
 
As an interim reconfiguration of the Identity and Belonging unit, we welcome two new members of the team and a change in role for Director of LGBTQIA+ Student Services, as we endeavor to provide mentorship and support to students, and continue our collaboration with members of the 吃瓜网 community:
 
Cheysen Cabuyadao-Sipe ’23 joins the Identity and Belonging team as the Intercultural Program Manager in addition to his duties as Resident Director of Lyman House. Cheysen was part of the FGWC (First Gen Working Class) student community, and was also a leader and participant in the Summer Fly-In Program. Cheysen will be based in the Glover Alston Intercultural Center, with primary responsibility for supporting FGWC students, advising other student groups and also advising the work of celebrations in the Spring.
 
NiQo Bullock, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Activities, Involvement and Leadership, joins the Inclusive Excellence Team combining his work in advising a broad range of students clubs and organizations—including the Black Student Union (BSU) and the Men of Color Association (MOCA)—with his commitment to Inclusive Excellence. NiQo led the work on the first Juneteenth Celebration at Whitman College in June 2025.
 
Shelby Hearn has stepped into the role of Interim Director of Identity and Belonging to collaborate with affinity student groups and support their programming, provide leadership to their colleagues in the Identity and Belonging area, and continue in their capacity as Director of LGBTQIA+ Student Services. Moving forward, they will be the main point of contact for campus community members seeking resources or involvement within any of the Identity & Belonging programs or spaces.
 
Along with myself, Cheysen, NiQo, and Shelby will be maintaining a continual staff present in the Third Space Center, the Glover Alston Intercultural Center, the Queer Resource Center and the All Faiths Room—with the rev. johnson joining us on campus at the end of this month.

Contacting the Division of Inclusive Excellence

We will continue to provide periodic updates in Whitman Today on the ongoing events, activities and changes in the Division of Inclusive Excellence. 

In the meantime, if you have any questions about any of these changes, please reach out to Natasha Blake, who continues to serve as the Executive Assistant to the Office of the Vice President for Inclusive Excellence, at blakena@whitman.edu or 509-527-4997.