GREENFIELD — Greenfield Community College’s first-ever Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Angela Campbell said she is approaching the new position from the role of a listener.

The college launched the search for its DEI vice president in October after alleged attempts to suppress a less-than-flattering DEI report prompted the GCC Professional Association — the college’s faculty and staff union — to vote “no confidence” in its provost and president over the summer. The 45-page report, crafted by Connecticut-based racial equity consultant RE-Center Race & Equity in Education, stated that the college’s DEI efforts are largely “performative,” “superficial” and often tokenize minority community members, and noted that “racialized harm is allowed to continue without being addressed.”

Campbell was hired for the position out of a pool of more than 30 candidates at the end of November after GCC formed a hiring committee. The position operates out of President Michelle Schutt’s office and pays an annual salary of $120,000 to $130,000.

“My initial goal is to get to know the community. I’m aware of some of the pain points. I’m aware of the history. I’m aware of the great work that leadership, faculty and staff has done prior to my arrival — asking the right questions and thinking deeply about how we can contribute to all of our students, faculty and staff, feeling like they belong and that they matter,” Campbell said. “Even if we don’t agree on all of the issues, we can find a way forward in a positive, productive manner.”

Campbell, who grew up in Pennsylvania, joined GCC after serving as Cabrini University’s vice president of mission, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. At Cabrini, she also co-founded the Center for Urban Education, Equity and Improvement.

At Carnegie Mellon University, Campbell took the inaugural role of executive director of the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion. She said that she has always carried a curiosity about why people interact with one another the way they do.

“I have always been immersed in questions about why the world is the way it is,” Campbell said. “In my childhood, all throughout my schooling and higher education and work, I’ve always been interested in questions around why human beings treat each other the way we do — the good and the bad and everything in between.”

This curiosity, Campbell added, has motivated her career in diversity and equity. In her first weeks serving at GCC, Campbell said she had begun organizing “listening sessions” for GCC students and staff members, which she said will transition into more strategic, policy-oriented meetings in a few months.

“It’s very important that we keep the lines of communication open, and that’s why the first goal that I have is to really deeply listen to members of the community and to listen actively and generatively, and that I’m not just passively listening,” Campbell said. “I’m actually trying to deeply understand where people are coming from, their standpoints, their life experiences … and what are some ways that I can support the resourcing of conversations, experiences, programs and opportunities for members of the community.”

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.