Barnes Plans to Enhance EEO Office as Director

Barnes Plans to Enhance EEO Office as Director

BY DANA BENSON
Rice News Staff

A well-liked and respected campus figure has been appointed the new director of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action with the goal of enhancing the services provided by the office.

Russell Barnes started his new position Feb. 1. He replaces Cathy Keneally, who retired from Rice in January.

As director, Barnes will support and advance diversity on campus and be responsible for ensuring that Rice remains in compliance with all federal requirements.

But Barnes hopes to take the equal employment opportunity and affirmative action (EEO/AA) office, which reports to the Office of the President, in a new direction by concentrating more on tolerance and on the awareness of the benefits to the university of a diverse workforce.

The ability to initiate a more proactive approach to the office is just what the search committee, led by General Counsel Shirley Redwine, had in mind when they recommended Barnes, who since 1993 has served as assistant director of human resources.

Under Barnes, the office will focus more on hiring and training issues, Redwine said. Areas on campus underrepresented in terms of diversity will be identified, and Barnes will work with the people in those areas who do the hiring to identify pools of talent in the labor market. He will also work with human resources to provide training and information on equal opportunity practices.

"Russell is well-known on campus and is considered an even-handed and fair person," Redwine said. "The search committee believed that one of the characteristics the new director should possess was the ability to mobilize support on campus, and Russell has that ability.

"To have an impact on hiring and management practices, he needs to have the cooperation and support of a broad section of the campus community."

Barnes noted that President Malcolm Gillis is already one of the biggest supporters of the office.

"Dr. Gillis has shown ongoing sincerity in supporting this office," Barnes said. "The fact that the office reports to him shows the importance he places on diversity issues."

Under Barnes’ leadership, the office also will see some organizational changes, including the way in which the federally-required Affirmative Action Report is conducted. The findings of the report’s data analysis can be very useful to the university, but the computer work itself has proven to be an all-encompassing task to the EEO/AA director. In the future, the data analysis may be out-sourced.

Additionally, Jean Ashmore, who previously served as coordinator of disabled student services in student affairs, has been moved into the EEO/AA office, where she will oversee disability services for the entire campus community. Rounding out the office is Carmen Irvin, executive assistant, who has served in that capacity for more than 11 years. The EEO/AA office is located at 224 Herman Brown Hall.