Nkenge (IN-KIN-JEE) Friday knew of AU’s inclusive excellence (IE) work long before she was hired last fall to advance the university’s continuing efforts to build a more diverse, welcoming community and bolster all Eagles’ sense of belonging.  

Friday, AU’s new vice president of inclusive excellence, attended IE lectures and trainings on campus several years ago—programming that helped model the change she led at the nearby School of International Training and later at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she served for four years as the inaugural senior assistant vice chancellor for strategic initiatives. Friday was impressed by AU’s commitment to living its values and jumped at the opportunity to return to campus six years later to lead the next phase of the university’s Plan for Inclusive Excellence.

“Right now, we see a lot of challenges to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We’re the most diverse our nation has ever been, and [some people] are saying, ‘Do we even need this?’ But I think at AU, not only are we saying we need it, but we need it at the highest levels. That commitment is what drew me to this position,” said Friday, who started in her new role on January 16. 

Inclusive excellence is a cornerstone of the Changemakers for a Changing World, strategic plan, which just marked the completion of its fifth year. Friday’s role brings together the broad range of AU’s inclusive excellence work from across campus, including equity and Title IX. 

“With more than five years of progress and learning, we are now at a stage where the new vice president can build on our momentum and shape the important work that we know we have to do moving forward,” President Sylvia Burwell wrote in message to the campus community in October 2023. “Nkenge will help enhance communication and engagement across our community and work with faculty and staff to inform the IE work with the latest research.” 

In her role at Nebraska, Friday served as a senior leader in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, developing and implementing more than 20 inclusive excellence strategic plans and initiative across the university’s college and administrative units. She inaugurated Nebraska’s annual diversity report; partnered with human resources to include IE as an employee evaluation measure; instituted the first university-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion awards; and expanded bias and climate-related reporting resources and infrastructure, leading to the creation of the Inclusive Campus Support Network. 

“Nkenge’s depth of experience, her thoughtful approach, and her commitment to listening deeply will be invaluable in building our shared vision for the next chapter of inclusive excellence at AU,” said Amanda Taylor, assistant vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

As she did at Nebraska, Friday will take a data-driven approach to leading AU’s IE efforts, including an expanded focus on disability, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of discrimination and hate. “[Data] is important because it tells us where we are and gives us a goal to work toward,” she said. “But it also helps to tell a story around inclusive excellence and to make that story salient.”

Crafting a narrative that includes a variety of voices is among Friday’s favorite aspects of her work.

“I enjoy watching that light bulb go off and seeing people embrace IE and become advocates. From the highest levels of our institution on down to those who are working at the front lines, we all have something to contribute.”