Advancing the Professionalization of Diversity Officers in Higher Education: Report of the Presidential Task Force on the Revision of the NADOHE Standards of Professional Practice

The National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) has developed and approved standards of professional practice for diversity officers in higher education (Worthington, Stanley, & Lewis, 2014). A more recent, revised set of standards have been adopted by NADOHE (2020) to reflect the rapid evolution of the field, and update existing standards to further promote the advancement of the professionalization of diversity officers in higher education. This article provides a summary of work on the development of the revised NADOHE Standards of Professional Practice, along with some of the most significant advancements in the field of study to encompass a broad range of knowledge and practices reflected in the work of diversity officers across differing institutional contexts. Understanding that diversity is an imperative for excellence requires linking diversity to an institution's mission. Standards of professional practice are useful guideposts to specify and clarify the flexibility and scope of work of diversity officers, and inform administrators and institutions in aligning the work of diversity officers with the rapidly advancing characteristics of the profession. The standards account for variations in the organizational structures, fiscal resources, professional backgrounds, specialized expertise, and scope of administrative authority that exist across institutional contexts.