Tabbye M. Chavous, who has spent the past two and a half years at the helm of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor’s embattled Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, will be leaving the flagship campus this summer to head the American Educational Research Association, the group announced Monday.
Chavous, one of the nation’s most outspoken and well-known advocates for campus diversity efforts, will take on the new role on August 11. Word of that change came less than two weeks after Michigan’s president, Santa J. Ono, and other top university officials announced that the office she oversees would be eliminated and the university’s strategic plan, DEI 2.0, would be discontinued.
Chavous will succeed Felice J. Levine, who has been executive director of AERA since 2002. Founded in 1916, AERA encourages and helps promote research related to education and has sharply criticized the dismantling of the National Center for Education Statistics.
AERA’s president, Janelle Scott, cited Chavous’s “deep expertise in education research and unwavering commitment to promoting evidence-based policies and practices.” In a prepared statement, Scott added that “at a time when support for high-quality research is key to advancing education in the U.S. and worldwide, we are confident that Dr. Chavous will expand our impact and drive meaningful change.” The announcement by the research association also cited Chavous’s “equity-oriented leadership” as Michigan’s chief diversity officer and her advocacy for inclusive research.
Chavous was not immediately available for comment, but in AERA’s press release, she said she looks forward to leading the organization she’s belonged to for more than two decades.
“This is a challenging time for those who understand the value of rigorous research and scholarship, who seek to expand access and opportunity, and who cultivate the next generation of scholars and practitioners to make positive societal impacts,” she said. “Our work is needed now more than ever.”
Chavous is also a professor of education and psychology at Michigan, where her leadership roles have included vice president for research and director of the National Center for Institutional Diversity.
Rebekah Modrak, chair of the Faculty Senate, called Chavous’s move “a major loss to the University of Michigan.” Under her watch, Modrak said, “the enrollment of Black students grew by 13 percent over the past year alone,” and she brought attention to the need for greater support for disabled people and a more inclusive atmosphere for those across racial, gender, religious, and cultural lines. “Her departure indicates a significant failure by our institution to invest in leaders who understand how to build programming based on expertise and data.”
UM’s provost, Laurie McCauley, praised Chavous as “a visionary educator and an excellent, collaborative colleague” who would be a “tremendous asset” to AERA. In a statement to The Chronicle, McCauley said Chavous’s tenure has been defined “by a passion for research, relentless creativity, and kindness toward everyone she knows.”
She did not respond to a question about whether Chavous would be replaced, referring instead to the university’s March 27 statement announcing the cuts and saying that “student-facing” services would move to other offices focused on student access and opportunity.
Faculty leaders say that around 20 university employees have been laid off so far as a result of the cuts, which have been praised by those who see DEI as divisive and ineffective, and decried by those who say diversity, equity and inclusion are essential goals that should continue.
Levine said she looks forward to supporting Chavous as she takes over leadership of the association and its more than 25,000 members. “In this current moment in our nation’s history, where scholarship and knowledge are being threatened on multiple fronts, Dr. Chavous embodies the strategic, courageous, and evidence- and knowledge-based leadership needed in the field and AERA,” she said.
