FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The University of Saint Francis Interim Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Robert A Pastoor, announced that Dr. Paul Porter has been named Director for Diversity and Inclusion. He will begin his role on campus starting July 23, 2018.
“Hiring Paul as the Director for Diversity and Inclusion is an important step toward serving our students and highlighting the importance of Diversity and Inclusion across the campus,” says Dr. Pastoor. “He is highly experienced in higher education. We’re excited to have him as part of the university and as an integral part of the Student Affairs department to grow and strengthen our student experience.”
Porter comes to USF with over 12 years of experience in higher education serving in various capacities. He has served as the Director of Programs and Evaluation at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, IN; Director of Multicultural Affairs at the University of Scranton in Scranton, PA; Director of First Year Experience at Marian University, Indianapolis, IN; and as the Assistant Director of Forensics at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, IN. He has also held a number of adjunct faculty positions in Communication and Sociology at the same institutions and at Ivy Tech in Indianapolis, IN.
“Diversity and social justice work align perfectly with the Catholic and Franciscan values,” Porter said. “I’m honored to join this university and I look forward to helping USF advance this work on campus.”
Porter holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership/Higher Education Administration from Indiana State University, an MA in Communication and Rhetorical Studies from Eastern Michigan University and a BS in Communication Studies from Ball State University.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 70 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the School of Health Sciences, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership and School of Creative Arts. In addition to its traditional programs, USF designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. In 2016, the University of Saint Francis expanded its presence to downtown Fort Wayne. USF Downtown houses the university’s business and music technology programs while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis campus experience includes 16 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships, and is recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution. Approximately 2,300 students from a broad geographic region attend USF.