University of Richmond Selects Glyn Hughes as Director of Common Ground
May 17, 2006
University of Richmond has selected Glyn Hughes, currently visiting assistant professor of sociology, as the first director of common ground, a position that will oversee diversity-related programming and promote multicultural competence among students, faculty and staff. His appointment is effective July 15.
In 2003 Richmond President William E. Cooper and Provost June Aprille launched the university’s Common Ground Commission to examine diversity on campus and suggest ways to ensure that the university welcomes, values and understands differences. Following the completion of the commission’s work, a second committee developed an action plan that included hiring a director of common ground.
Hughes will help establish programming that models inclusive diversity and creates opportunities for people of all demographic and ideological identities to come together around common interests for social interaction and formal programming.
Aprille said Hughes’ expertise “extends to a wide range of difference categories, including especially gender, race, ethnicity, disability, class and sexual orientation. He is exceptionally well-prepared and eager to assist students, staff and faculty in developing a community that embraces inclusive diversity.”
Hughes holds a Ph.D. in sociology with women’s studies emphasis and a master’s degree in sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a bachelor’s degree in social science from Flagler College.
He said the Common Ground initiative at Richmond “has taken shape through the efforts of many talented and dedicated people, and I’m very excited to formally join the effort. As a professor here for four years, I know there’s a collective hunger on this campus for pursuing inclusive diversity. As director of common ground, my job will be to coordinate and amplify those energies, which includes working with students, staff and faculty for whom I have great respect.”
Hughes joined the university in 2002 after serving as an instructor and teaching assistant in sociology, women’s studies, writing and orientation programs at UCSB. He has extensive experience with social justice work and diversity issues both inside and outside the university setting. His work includes safe sex and drug use education, HIV/AIDS case management and crisis counseling, disability services and multi-racial community organizing. He was coordinator of an AIDS hotline and a crisis counselor with The National AIDS hotline.
He served on the board of directors and organizing collective of the Richmond Queer Space Project and has been a facilitator for the university’s Collegetown, a four-day social justice retreat. He also has worked with the university’s Black-White Student Dialogues. He was a fellow with the Social Science Research Council’s Program on the Corporation as a Social Institution. He has published articles on teaching gender and depictions of race in media and management.