Dr. Amer Ahmed is serving through the end of the year as the interim Executive Director of Dickinson’s Office of Equity and Inclusivity. 

The college announced Ahmed’s hiring in July. “I was contacted by senior level folks” Ahmed said, about the position. His relationship with Dickinson dates to 2018, when he began some consulting work with the college. 

Dickinson presents a challenge because it is “uniquely decentralized for a small liberal arts institution,” Ahmed said, “usually the challenge translates to a more elaborate process of buy-in.” 

“I’m excited about the process because there is a lot of talented people who want to advance the college’s mission with respect to equity and inclusivity. That gives me a lot of optimism,” Ahmed said. 

One of his main focuses will be in incorporating equity and inclusivity work into Dickinson’s Global Studies program. Which he has described as a missed opportunity. “Historically, there’s not a diverse student profile studying abroad,” he said. 

In an interview with The Dickinsonian, Ahmed emphasized that there were missed opportunities in global education because there is an emphasis on cultural exchange but not on social justice. He added that there is an emphasis on support for international students on campus but not for historically marginalized groups. 

To remedy this, Ahmed said that he will be collaborating with the college’s Center for Global Study and Engagement  on questions like “Who access [global studies]? What do support structures look like? What are the equity issues that exist abroad?”

Ahmed is contracted through the end of 2020. He has served in similar roles at the University of Michigan, Swarthmore College, and the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. Ahmed Frequently does consulting work at colleges and universities across the country and is a public speaker on issues of social justice.