Dr. Darryl C. Mace — vice president for mission, diversity and inclusion — wants to ensure Alvernia's campus is supportive
By Lini S. Kadaba
One of Dr. Darryl C. Mace’s top priorities as Â鶹ĘÓƵ’s inaugural vice president for mission, diversity and inclusion is to ensure that students, faculty and staff feel comfortable and supported on campus.
“Alvernia wants to build a vision,” said Mace, 46, former chair of the history and political science department at Cabrini University. “How do you have a diverse student body, a diverse university community that all feel a sense of belonging? That piece is essential.”
It’s a goal that resonates with him.
Soon after Mace joined Cabrini as an instructor, a racial incident occurred at the residence halls that made him feel unsafe at the Radnor, PA, campus. In a meeting with administrators, he says he was asked what they should do.
“Since 2005,” he said, “I’ve been helping people in higher education understand what they should do.”
Over 16 years, Mace helped Cabrini devise its first inclusivity strategic plan and develop a bias response team, a diversity task force and an inclusivity council, where he was co-chair for three years. He also led efforts to create a Black studies major, revamp American studies and bolster women’s studies. In March 2022, Mace was awarded the school’s Compass Award for promoting and defending dignity for all.
In his few months at Alvernia, he has assessed the campus climate through conversations and surveys, launched a bias-reporting system, established resource groups for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ employees and safe space lounges for student affinity groups and allies, and orchestrated professional development exercises for residence life, admissions, athletics and the board of trustees.
“How do you have a diverse student body, a diverse university community that all feel a sense of belonging? That piece is essential.”
Mace also has partnered with Cabrini to bring diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs to the community, including a virtual talk remembering civil rights activist Gloria Richardson and an artist-in-residence event featuring Halim Flowers. Meanwhile, he is staffing a justice, equity and inclusion office to provide resources and training programs.
Looking ahead, Mace says his priorities include employee professional development with intensive, small-group training and immersive community engagement; a student accessible dashboard that tracks Alvernia’s DEI efforts; and community partnerships that support prayer groups and combat homelessness and domestic violence.
“There’s so much passion across this campus for this work,” he said of DEI. “But it really requires someone to coordinate it all.”
While Mace may not have planned on being that person, his passion and expertise has led him here.
He graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1999 with a double major in history and speech communications and later pursued a history doctorate at Temple University, defending in 2007. His 2014 book “In Remembrance of Emmett Till: Regional Stories and Media Responses to the Black Freedom Struggle” was based on his thesis that analyzed press coverage of the trial of Till’s murderers. In 2021, his third book, “Rosa Parks: A Life in American History,” came out.
Courtney Smith, chair of Cabrini’s history and political science department, says Mace’s ideas continue to impact the university. Starting in the fall, Cabrini will require its students to take a history of racism and anti-racism course and other DEI course credits.
“That was something he championed,” says Smith, also assistant dean of the core curriculum. “You can see his legacy here in how we operate.”
Joseph R. Fitzgerald, a Cabrini associate professor of history and political science and long-time friend, describes Mace as “a strategic thinker” on DEI. “He always has the 30,000-foot view,” he says. That meant Mace strove to imbed DEI in every facet of the Cabrini student experience, “where they sleep, where they eat, where they go to class, gather to socialize, play sports. He was here to change the culture. And he did.”
At Alvernia, Mace holds similar goals, noting the university already is well positioned to embrace its “mission-focused inclusive excellence.” Take student reaction to George Floyd’s death.
“Across the nation, students were calling institutions out,” he said. “At Alvernia, students called the administration in.” In a meeting with the dean of students, a group asked for help in formulating a meaningful response.
“That’s exactly the reaction we want,” Mace added. “If that’s the dynamic, then Alvernia is a place to belong, because you have someplace to go.”
