Associate Professor Terry Flennaugh was named the college’s associate dean for a newly named unit: Diversity, Inclusion and Community Partnerships (DICP) in fall 2023. He previously held the role in an interim capacity since 2022.
Though the unit has a new name, the DICP team will continue to carry on the legacy of a unit committed to equity, inclusion and justice for faculty, staff and students throughout the College of Education.
Flennaugh was named interim associate dean of the then-Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in 2022. In roughly one year within that role, Flennaugh rebuilt the office from a team of one to a nearly complete unit of two full-time staff and four graduate and four undergraduate students. Flennaugh plans to hire an additional full-time role soon.
He continued college-wide learning initiatives, such as 2022-2023’s APIDA/A Justice, Solidarity + Coalition and the 2023-2024 initiative: Operating in an Anti-LGBTQ+ Climate: Responses from Educators & Advocates. The learning initiatives include guest speakers (internal and external), a common read for the college and other opportunities.
“Terry Flennaugh is a servant-leader who illuminates a path towards unity for all of us in the College of Education. His vision is guiding us towards a more inclusive and compassionate community that extends far beyond the university’s campus,” said Kelley Johnson, an outreach, recruitment and programming specialist in the DICP office. “It is a pleasure learning from Dr. Flennaugh as he encourages us all to listen to every voice and take value from every story so that we can have a positive self-image and have respect for others.”
Johnson and Flennaugh work closely on the “community partnerships” facet of the office, which includes internal and external programming for a variety of college stakeholders. Longstanding examples are the college’s Teacher Education Academy and Early Success Scholars, both preparing future Spartans for the college experience, and the Urban Education Speaker Series. There are other examples – existing and forthcoming – that speak to Flennaugh’s belief: the college’s efforts in diversity, inclusion and partnerships don’t have boundaries just within the buildings of MSU.
Flennaugh joined the college in 2011. Flennaugh also serves as the director of the college’s undergraduate Urban Educators Cohort Programs and as the advisor for the college’s Future Teachers of Color student group.
He is also a noted scholar of race, culture and equity in education. His recent work has focused on improving equity in teacher preparation programs and improving the educational experiences of Black males and other students of color in urban contexts.