UT established an Affirmative Action Office in 1974 with the appointment of Dr. Bertha Williams, faculty member in Educational and Counseling Psychology, to the half-time position of Affirmative Action coordinator. Susan Whitney, who followed Dr. Williams in the position, was appointed full time. She was succeeded by Thomasina Robinson, who was followed by Denise Harvey. The position was then split into two full-time positions, one supportive position, located in Institutional Research (filled by Lola R. Dodge as senior research associate) dealing with statistics and reporting requirements, and one dealing with all other aspects of the office’s responsibility (filled by Camille Hazeur). Dodge was subsequently elevated to director of Affirmative Action Compliance, and Hazeur became director of Affirmative Action Activities.
When Dodge was appointed executive director of Human Resources in 1994, the institutional research position was absorbed into the Human Resources Department. Following Dodge’s dismissal in 1995, the functions were recombined under Hazeur (except for Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance, which remained for a time in Human Resources) to become the Office of Diversity Resources and Educational Services. In 2000 the office’s name was changed to Office of Equity and Diversity, in accord with then President Gilley’s streamlining of the university—it and the University of Tennessee at Memphis Office of Affirmative Action related both to their respective campuses and to Theotis Robinson, as vice president of equity and diversity. In 2013 UT Knoxville appointed a vice chancellor for diversity, and the Office of Equity and Diversity was part of the portfolio of that office. The title of Dr. Marva Rudolph’s role as existing director of the Office of Equity and Diversity was subsequently changed to associate vice chancellor for diversity.