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Mar 14, 2023

Elon University / Today at Elon / Naeemah Clark named Elon’s first associate provost for academic inclusive excellence

By Eric Townsend, staff June 1, 2023 The distinguished Elon University faculty

By Eric Townsend, staff

June 1, 2023

The distinguished Elon University faculty member with scholarly interests in diversity and representation in American media will lead efforts to further promote a welcoming environment for learning and teaching across campus.

A communications professor who has taught and mentored thousands of students throughout her accomplished Elon tenure has been named the university's first associate provost for academic inclusive excellence.

Naeemah Clark, a professor of cinema and television arts and Elon University's J. Earl Danieley Distinguished Professor, begins her new role August 1, though her work supporting inclusive excellence and intersectional identities already has been a defining feature of her two decades in higher education.

Clark currently serves as Presidential Administrative Fellow where she oversees campus initiatives to build intercultural competence. She now takes a lead role in further growing Elon University's commitment to inclusive excellence through priorities outlined in the Boldly Elon strategic plan.

"Elon is fortunate to have someone of Dr. Naeemah Clark's caliber to provide a vision for achieving such important and ambitious goals," said Elon University Provost Rebecca Kohn. "She understands in meaningful ways how students, faculty, and staff thrive in spaces where they feel welcomed, a guiding philosophy of her many impressive contributions to our community throughout her career."

Clark's selection for the newly created role within the Office of the Provost follows service to the university in a variety of leadership and administrative positions. Her new responsibilities include:

Promote inclusive excellence in academic spaces via:

Support the recruitment, hiring, and retention of a diverse faculty and staff by:

Guide additional campus initiatives and programs by:

"I’m excited to work with students, faculty, and staff to help Elon live its mission to produce graduates the world needs," Clark said. "At a time when higher education is being challenged by those who have diminished the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion, it is gratifying that our university has been intentionally leaning into this hard work."

Clark joined the Elon faculty in 2009 and earned promotion to full professor by 2018. In the interim, she chaired the Core Curriculum Council, co-chaired the Presidential Task Force for Social Climate, directed the School of Communications Fellows Program, served as a member of the Task Force for LGBTQIA Faculty, Staff, Students and the LGBTQIA Advisory Council, and served as a member of the Inclusive Community Council/President's Advisory Council for Inclusive Excellence.

Since her promotion to full professor, Clark has continued her prolific service to the university as director of assessment and accreditation for the School of Communications, as a member of the University Promotion and Tenure committee, and as department chair for Cinema & Television Arts. She was appointed to her current role as Presidential Administrative Fellow in 2021.

Clark's scholarly focus is on economic, programming, and diversity issues related to the media and entertainment industries, and she has co-authored a textbook, "Diversity in U.S. Mass Media," that enters its third edition this summer. Clark also edited the book "African Americans in the History of U.S. Media."

Before coming to Elon, Clark worked at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and Kent State University. She holds a Ph.D. and Master of Arts in mass communication from the University of Florida and a Bachelor of Science in English Education from Florida State University.

Posted in: Academics & Research Faculty & Staff News Releases

Tagged: Inclusive Excellence - Elon Law Inclusive Excellence at Elon Office of the Provost School of Communications

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Naeemah Clark

Professor of Cinema and Television Arts and J. Earl Danieley Distinguished Professor