Jeffery Frumkin, associate vice provost and senior director of academic human resources, will serve as interim associate vice provost for academic and faculty affairs and senior director for institutional equity.
The role includes the functions of Title IX coordinator, responsible for handling allegations of harassment or other discriminatory behavior, as well as Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator.
Laurita Thomas, associate vice president for human resources, and Robert Sellers, vice provost for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer, announced the interim appointment.
Frumkin takes over for Anthony Walesby on Dec. 3 as Walesby leaves the university to become director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at Illinois State University, his alma mater.
“Anthony has never failed to provide expert advice to guide the university through a spectrum of important and challenging issues,” said Thomas. “He has enacted significant new programs and processes to better ensure the university’s legal compliance, but equally important, he has been an unwavering ally for fairness, respect and access for all members of our community.”
Among Walesby’s accomplishments are the establishment of an investigative model to address civil rights allegations, representation of U-M before federal civil rights agencies, collaborating across the university for policy and procedures on student Title IX issues, establishing the Distinguished Diversity Leaders Award, and developing an office that has provided training to more than 63,000 faculty, staff, students and members of the public.
Frumkin will guide the operations of the Office for Institutional Equity during the search for a new senior director. He has served as associate vice provost and senior director for academic human resources since 1998.
Previous to the establishment of the Office for Institutional Equity, Frumkin led the Office of Sexual Harassment as well as the Office of Employee Relations. Before coming to U-M, he served in similar roles at the University of California, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Eastern Michigan University and Michigan State University.
A search advisory committee, chaired by Alicia Davis, professor of law and associate dean for strategic initiatives at the Law School, will advise Thomas and Sellers on the selection of candidates.
Other committee members are:
• Christiana Allen-Pipkin, graduate student, School of Social Work.
• Jeff Frumkin, associate vice provost and senior director of academic human resources.
• John Kuwada, professor of biology, LSA.
• Tim Lynch, vice president and general counsel.
• Dayna Petkov, undergraduate student, LSA.
• Steve Reck, human resources officer, Finance Human Resources.
• Holly Rider-Milkovich, director, Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center.
• Catherine Shaw, assistant vice provost, Office of the Provost.
• Cassandra Willis-Abner, operations top executive, U-M Health System Service Excellence
The position jointly reports to University Human Resources and the Office of the Provost. A description of the job is posted through Dec. 5 on the University of Michigan Careers website at careers.umich.edu.
