What We Do - Office of the Vice Provost for Institutional Inclusive Excellence

A photograph of Tufts graduates at commencement. The image features the back of new graduate's head's, so their caps are visible. In the middle one cap stands out, which is decorated to read "I Didn't Do It Alone" in big yellow letters with butterflies for decoration.

In the Office of the Vice Provost for Institutional Inclusive Excellence (OVPIIE), we offer a range of programs, events, and capacity building opportunities for all faculty, staff, and students to enhance our collective learning and connection across differences. We believe a diverse and culturally rich campus community offers immense opportunities for creativity, innovation, and belonging for all.

We structure our work across four pillars and seek opportunities to build capacity with colleagues across the university to increase opportunities for engagement in the following areas:
Pillar 1: Developing People and Leaders
Pillar 2: Informing and Advancing Policies and Practices
Pillar 3: Creating and Expanding Resources and Research
Pillar 4: Designing Community Targeted Educational Programs

Programs and Events

We offer a multitude of programs that promote institutional inclusive excellence through leadership development, workshops, dialogue, and community-building events. From university-wide celebrations like Juneteenth to small cohort-based dialogues through the Tufts Talks Openly initiative, our suite of programs and events offers something for everyone.

Alignment and Collaboration

We offer thought partnership and strategic alignment to support schools and administrative units in advancing their goals around inclusive excellence, often in collaboration with school-based Associate/Assistant Deans for Inclusive Excellence. Members of our team are available for consultation to support staff, faculty, and student groups in actualizing their inclusive excellence goals, programs, policies, and practices to support a thriving campus community. Request a meeting with us today!

Engagement Methods

Engaging a diverse and culturally rich campus community means offering a multitude of community-driven options for engagement and entry points for learning. We’ve designed programs and initiatives that span several methods as we seek to reach everyone in our Tufts community:

Collaboration: We believe in bringing multiple perspectives and viewpoints together that can orient around shared goals.

Connection: We believe that at the root of our humanity is a need for authentic and sincere connection.

Dialogue: We believe in finding ways to listen and express ourselves respectfully while engaging across differences that both may challenge us and support our growth individually and collectively.

Learning: We believe Tufts is a community of learners who always have room to incorporate new knowledge and practice.

Strategy: We believe in our capacity to advance change and shape a vision for the future that includes all of us.

Learn more about institutional inclusive excellence here.