The University of Wisconsin has removed Dr. LaVar Charleston from his role as chief diversity officer and named Provost Charles Isbell interim director of the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement (DDEEA), according to an email from Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin obtained by Madison365.
Current DDEEA staff will report to Isbell on a temporary basis and day-to-day operations will be overseen by a four-person leadership cabinet, according to the email. Fiscal authority for the division has been moved to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration.
“An ongoing internal review of DDEEA’s finances has revealed areas of concern about financial operations and fiscal judgments in the division,” Mnookin wrote. DDEEA is also subject of a Legislative Audit Bureau report expected to be released soon.
Charleston will remain an employee of the university, returning to his backup position as a clinical professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis.
“The university will continue to support existing DDEEA events, programs, and services going forward, and we do not expect any direct impact on the students, staff, and faculty served by and affiliated to DDEEA programs,” Mnookin wrote. “We remain unequivocally committed to inclusive excellence at UW–Madison and will continue working to foster an environment where every student and employee, regardless of their background, feels a sense of belonging and is empowered to succeed.”
This is a developing story and will be updated. A previous headline indicated that DDEEA had been restructured; in fact, DDEEA remains intact but Provost Charles Isbell has been named interim director.