J. Brice Bible, vice president and chief information officer, has joined nearly 400 senior higher education IT leaders from across the U.S. in pledging to promote diversity, equity and inclusion, both locally and across higher education.

By signing the CIO Commitment Statement, a national campaign led by Educause, a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education through the use of information technology, the CIOs agree to endorse a common set of actions that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) locally and in the field. Those actions include:

• Working to increase opportunities for women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, and individuals with disabilities to be information technology professionals and leaders.
• Advocating for DEI practices, helping to develop appropriate DEI practices, resources and tools, and mentoring colleagues seeking to contribute to DEI efforts.
• Becoming aware of institutional and/or regional demographic trends and working toward creating an institutional and/or regional technology workforce that keeps up with demographic trends.
• Partnering with institutional colleagues to create/advance programs that aim to expand opportunities and eliminate the barriers for students from underrepresented populations interested in computer science, data sciences and other technology-related fields, both in undergraduate education and post-graduation programs.

“As CIOs, we play a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of technology professionals and leaders,” the statement says. “We believe that diverse and inclusive environments will foster more effective and creative teams of IT professionals.”

For more information about the CIO Commitment, visit the Educause website.