Priyanka Rupani, director of diversity, equity and inclusion, is leaving Lab at the end of the school year. This vacancy will affect diversity, equity and inclusion advancements schoolwide, especially if the school doesn’t find a highly qualified person for that position. Lab was in the process of hiring an assistant DEI director a year ago, before the pandemic. However, the University of Chicago’s hiring freeze halted that process, and no one was hired for that position. This adds a layer of complication to the intricate process of hiring a new DEI director, since there’s no one to maintain stability after Ms. Rupani’s departure.

The main priority should be finding the most qualified candidate who brings experience and who validates peoples’ experiences, even if it means not having someone permanent in that position this fall. To ensure stability for the 2021-22 academic year, Lab should appoint an interim DEI director and continue searching for someone to fill the position permanently.  

The DEI director is responsible for overseeing everything involving diversity and inclusion for nursery through high school. After recent racist incidents at U-High and the middle school, Ms. Rupani navigated feelings and opened spaces for the community to process. Besides just working in DEI, she also plays a central role in bridging DEI with health and wellness, by serving on the N-12 Wellness Council. The role of the DEI director is crucial in facilitating spaces for the community to process, but also bringing change to existing operations. Their voice has a strong impact on the actions taken by the rest of the Lab community. 

Besides holding spaces for the community to process and advocating for DEI in wellness, they also lead the student DEI movements, most notably DEI peer facilitators. Ms. Rupani has led this group of students to work with students in other schools and by holding open forums and  assemblies within the student body.

The new DEI director will have an impact on students’ experiences with advancing DEI as well, so it’s important they are highly qualified and suited for this position. Students’ interactions with the DEI director will impact how they approach social justice work throughout the schools, so to keep moving forward in inclusion, we must have a director who empowers student voice and maintains connections. 

Hiring an interim extends the search committee’s timeframe, and most notably gives Tori Jueds, the incoming Laboratory Schools director, more time to locate candidates, hopefully including someone who will be a long-lasting and impactful force in DEI. Since this position interacts with every division of the school, it’s important that we wait to find someone who’s ideal for the job, rather than racing the clock to have someone permanent too quickly.