Dr. Winnifred Namatovu took a particular interest in diversity, equity and inclusion after her days as a mathematics teacher exposed her to a lack of culturally responsive and relevant teaching practices. She has brought that lens to her work as an associate professor in the University of North Georgia's (UNG) College of Education.
In 2022-23, Namatovu in is in her fifth year chairing the college's Diversity and Recruitment Committee that develops, facilitates and assesses its diversity recruitment plan for faculty, staff and students. She also serves on UNG's Diversity Council and helped all College of Education faculty experience Safe Zone training, which is meant to create awareness and develop allies for LGBTQ+ communities.
"It is important to model what it means to be equitable and inclusive. It affects how we set up our classes and the conversations we have," Namatovu said. "Students are very receptive. They engage in the conversations and have more questions."
Namatovu served as interim director of Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA) from March 2022 to May 2022.
As she approaches diversity and inclusion efforts, she believes adaptability is important.
"Leadership is the ability to identify goals for whatever situation you are guiding," Namatovu said. "It is the ability to identify partners who can work with you to accomplish those goals and be flexible in modifying goals as you're working with partners."
Likewise, Namatovu sees a leader as someone who can facilitate collaborative teamwork and cede the need for full control.
"Leadership is the ability to accept multiple perspectives. It's important to humble yourself and provide space for voices to be heard," Namatovu said. "Let others take on some of the leadership tasks, even though you're coming in with a certain mission and vision. Others have an area of expertise that you may not have, so provide a path for them to shine and assist you. Know when to delegate tasks."
