By Dudley Brown

Dr. Dwain Pruitt ’95 returned to Wofford College in the fall of 2021 to serve as its first chief equity officer. The year involved all the work associated with establishing a new office, the launch of a new programming series and service on three committees related to the college’s Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion recommendations. Pruitt says, however, that the most important thing he learned was that he didn’t return to the same college that he left.

“When I left Wofford there were 1,100 students and the campus has 1,800 students now,” Pruitt says. “The faculty are younger and more diverse, and the student body is more diverse.”

While the number of people has increased and there are populations that historically weren’t represented on campus, Pruitt notes that percentages of minority students have not shifted much. Simply settling in on campus can be a momentous experience for students of color.

“Our campus is 80% white, and for many students of color, this is the first time their minority status is on such display,” Pruitt says.

An emphasis on inclusion can’t be underestimated. The college’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (OEDI), led by Pruitt, is charged with collaborating with students, administrators, alumni, faculty and staff to foster an accessible, diverse, equitable and inclusive campus community.

“I know as a Wofford grad that Wofford has a great deal to offer, but I also know some students don’t take advantage of these opportunities,” says Pruitt, who believes some need help navigating the campus community. “I do not believe any student accepted at Wofford can’t thrive here. We must connect them to the right resources and identify if we’re missing resources.”

Pruitt is focusing on integrating his office’s work, trainings and discussions across campus operations, from academics to athletics.

“We believe diversity means more than race,” Pruitt says. “We need to make sure programming is in place for students from various cultures, religions and political backgrounds so they can find their place in the Wofford community.”

OEDI is also responsible for overseeing the campus’ compliance with Title IX, civil rights law that prohibits sex- and gender-based discrimination in education programs. Pruitt says the office’s commitment to equity makes Title IX a natural fit.

The 2022-23 academic year marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, and OEDI will be a partner in an educational campaign to raise awareness across campus on Title IX procedures, regulations and institutional responsibilities. The office also will partner with the college’s athletics department to invite a speaker to celebrate the law’s impact on college athletics. OEDI will co-sponsor several faculty-led events, sponsor its own guest speakers and soon announce plans for an alternative spring break trip for 2023.

Pruitt is a historian, and he embraces the need to discuss history while addressing issues related to equity, diversity and inclusion. In that vein, OEDI funded its first stu- dent initiative during the summer of 2022: Alexander Key ’23, a history and English double major from Charleston, S.C., participated in a historic preservation program in her hometown with OEDI support.

“One of the things that led to this office’s creation is that we are talking about history and memory, so part of what this office is committed to is helping students who want to explore the past and engage with how we remember the past,” said Pruitt in an article profiling Key.

Pruitt continues working with others to study Wofford’s history to help the college tell its story and to gain better insight on how the campus evolved into what it is today. He helped with the new walking tour for history, memory and place, and he consulted on the new set of commemorative

campus banners. He also is trying to learn more about some fascinating moments from Wofford’s past. For example, he is currently researching Booker T. Washington’s April 1901 visit to Converse College and Wofford. Preliminary research suggests that Wofford students were reading Washington’s autobiography “Up from Slavery” and were excited to have him speak. President James Carlisle introduced Washington.

While a student at Wofford, Pruitt wrote and published “Things Hidden: An Introduction to the History of Blacks in Spartanburg” with the city’s community relations office. He continues to research the city’s Black history while identifying opportunities to host community events on campus. Wofford’s Black History Month 2023 will focus on Black Spartanburg history.

Still, Pruitt never loses sight of the students. In fact, he’s continuing to make teaching a priority while juggling administrative duties. Last spring, he taught HIST 351, “Witchcraft and Magic in Early Modern Europe,” and he is teach- ing HIST 101, “History of Early Modern Western Civilization to 1815,” this fall.

“You cannot do an academic job if you’re not engaging with students,” Pruitt says. “Students’ expectations change, and we need to keep a finger on the pulse.”