Norm J. Jones, Ph.D.

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Norm Jones, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Amherst College. Photo by Maria Stenzel

 Norm J. Jones, Ph.D.

Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer — Amherst College

A nationally recognized leader in higher education, educational equity and access, and organization development, Norm Jones served as Assistant to the President at Dickinson College, Associate Vice President and Dean of Diversity at Dickinson College, and Associate Chief Diversity Officer at Harvard University, where he oversaw a team of senior leaders responsible for Title IX, University Disability Services, Affirmative Action, and Equal Opportunity, and established a new Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Dr. Jones currently serves as Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Amherst College. In this role, he works with campus partners to advance practices and programs that foster diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility. He oversees the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, which comprises the Queer Resource Center, the Women’s and Gender Center, the Center for International Student Engagement, the Multicultural Resource Center, the Center for Diversity and Student Leadership, the Office of Inclusive Leadership, two Faculty Diversity and Inclusion Officers, and the Office of Student Academic Development, which includes the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) and the Harold Wade, Jr. Memorial Fund Fellowships.

In addition to his extensive experience in higher education, Dr. Jones has consulted with HR and Finance executives on increasing strategic diversity and articulating the bottom line around inclusive workplace practices. He has consulted both domestically and internationally, working with executives to develop their teams and train for succession. He has expertise in mid-management coaching and has worked one-on-one with dozens of high-potential employees who have been identified in the talent pipeline as “ready” for more senior positions within the organization.

Holding a B.A. from Morehouse College, a Master of Public Administration (MPA), and a Ph.D.  from Pennsylvania State University, Dr. Jones is certified to administer the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. He has designed and implemented executive-development programs using a variety of assessment tools including the Harrison Assessment, DiSC, Strengths-Finder, Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Model, and various 360 feedback instruments.

He has consulted with numerous organizations including Payne Theological Seminary, BMA Resources, Inc., the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), Carlisle Regional Medical Center, the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU), and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). He has also completed several leadership development institutes including the Tavistock Institute’s Leicester Conference on Group Relations and the Aspen Ideas Festival, which he attended as an Arthur Vining Foundations Fellow.

Dr. Jones currently serves on the boards of the Consortium for High Achievement and Success (CHAS) and the Liberal Arts Diversity Officers (LADO). He also serves as a reviewer for the African American Journal of Black Males in Education (JAAME), the MMUF Journal, and is a member of the Organization Development Practitioner Editorial Board.

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