CPTC welcomes Dr. Tolu Taiwo, Associate Director for Equity, Diversity Inclusion and Campus Climate

By Jean Borst

Clover Park Technical College (CPTC) is thrilled to welcome Dr. Tolu Taiwo as CPTC’s new Associate Director for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Campus Climate.

In this newly created position, Taiwo is responsible for day-to-day operations for the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (O-EDI), including the college’s Inclusive Excellence and Belonging and Student Diversity programs. In addition, Taiwo will support implementation of O-EDI priorities, objectives and strategies as they relate to CPTC’s college-wide strategic plan, campus climate results, and college scorecard equity measures.

A seasoned higher education and nonprofit professional, Taiwo brings to her new role a depth of experience in culturally responsive instruction, student support services, mentorship with and for students of color, women of color and non-binary students of color, LGBTQIA+ students and other traditionally underrepresented students in higher education. She was most recently Director of TRiO Programs/TRiO Student Support Services at Highline College, which provides comprehensive assistance, support and encouragement for marginalized students.

Taiwo holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Illinois, a Master of Science in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Colorado State University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education from Azusa Pacific University. 

“Dr. Taiwo is an embodiment of inclusive excellence in action through her research, practice and ways of knowing unique to their lived experiences,” CPTC Associate Vice President for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Iesha Valencia said. “I am honored that she chose to bring her talent and passion to Clover Park Technical College.”

Taiwo has already made an immediate and positive impact in their critical leadership position since joining CPTC in September, Valencia said, including leading a task force and institutional change effort to improve the student experience for transgender and nonbinary students.

We recently sat down with Taiwo to talk about their background and what’s ahead in their new role at CPTC.

What do you consider the most important priorities in your new role?

The first priority will be to create a peer mentoring center that supports students on campus. The center will primarily be for first-generation, low-income and people of color. We have the space in Building 16 in the center of campus. Now, we need to design and decorate that space and determine what will draw people in. We plan to have it open in 2025.

The other big piece is campus climate. A task force is currently reviewing policies, and a campus climate survey will be conducted soon to ask students, faculty and staff about their attitudes around diversity, inclusion and equity on the campus. This will help us to envision and reimagine CPTC to be more diverse, inclusive and welcoming to all students.

Talk more about plans to create a student peer mentoring program. Why is it important?

Having worked in higher ed for over 10 years, I’ve seen that students of color and low-income and first-generation students do really well if they have a peer to help them navigate campus life and other things. These students are smart enough and have what it takes to succeed, but because of how the higher education system is structured, folks with marginalized identities are often shut out. There are a lot of barriers on and off campus that hinder these students’ success. We want to help them thrive, not just survive.

I’m excited to team with College Access: Research & Action (CARA) in this effort. CARA uses a peer-to-peer approach to address college retention for first-generation, low-income and students of color. It’s cool working with people who share your vision.

What excites you most about your new role?

I love to do work in higher education that pours into student populations that I or my loved ones identify with. It’s cool to build a space that could have benefited my friends and family when they were in college. A place where people can walk in, feel at home, ask questions, connect with peers or make a friend. It just makes me want to cry when I think about it. I’m so excited.

What was your journey to higher education?

As the daughter of Nigerian immigrants, my values and passion come from supporting people with marginalized identities. I know firsthand how unfair systems are when you come to this country. I’m also someone who was a student of color, but not low income or first generation. I’m a combination of privilege and marginalized. As a student at a predominantly white college in Illinois, I was lonely in that space. That experience made me want to do something that made students feel like they belonged and that college is for everybody. That catapulted me into student affairs and doing work centered around making college welcoming and accessible for all.

What drew you to CPTC?

It sounds a little fan girly, but I really admire Iesha Valencia and the work she and her team have done over the years. At Highline, I had multiple opportunities to interact with and get to know what they’re doing around diversity. What Iesha, Luke Ruiz, Jovan McCoy and Sheli Sledge have done from the ground up is very loving, intentional and thoughtful – and also fun and playful as well as meaningful and needed to the campus and the surrounding community. I wanted to be a part of that and be part of a team that prioritizes innovation. I’m excited to continue to build with them.

Who inspires you?

I am definitely inspired by Black feminists like Ida B. Wells, Audre Lorde, Bell Hooks and others who have worked to make spaces justice focused. I am also inspired by what my peers in Washington state are doing in real time in a very holistic way – including Iesha and her team here at Clover Park Technical College. It’s magical to see.

And I am always thinking about my grandma who was in higher education and worked to make sure people around her had opportunities and resources.

What do you like to do for fun?

I love being with friends, going to movies, visiting breweries, being outside in nature and in new indoor adventures, and hanging out with my partner and our cat, Tuxedo. I also love to play The Sims 4 and read – especially mystery books.