A Message from the President: Terry Nance, PhD

September 8, 2023

Dear Members of the Villanova Community,

I am writing to share some news regarding one of our most well-known and longest-standing Villanova administrators. Terry Nance, PhD, Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, has informed me of her decision to retire at the end of this calendar year. She will be on sabbatical next year but will return to teaching part-time at Villanova in 2025.

Dr. Nance has been an integral presence at Villanova for more than 40 years. During her tenure, Dr. Nance has served as an administrator, teacher, scholar, activist and “support system” for Villanova students, faculty and staff. Her institutional knowledge, leadership and insight have been invaluable to Villanova’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. All who know Dr. Nance know she is ideally suited to this work and has helped the Villanova community become an even better version of itself.

Since 2020, Dr. Nance has served as the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Villanova. In this role, she supports Villanova’s ongoing efforts to create a welcoming and diverse community for students, faculty, administrators, staff and alumni. Under Dr. Nance’s guidance, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) works with academic, administrative and other units of the University to develop strategies to foster a Villanova community where individual differences are acknowledged, valued and appreciated. Dr. Nance has also held various DEI roles at the University, including inaugural Chief Diversity Officer; Associate Vice Provost of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; founding Assistant Vice President for the Center for Multicultural Affairs and the founding director of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

In 2021, the National Communication Association Black Caucus awarded Dr. Nance the Lifetime Achievement Award, and The National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education recognized her with the 2018 Frank W. Hale, Jr. Distinguished Service Award, an honor given to individuals who have “contributed substantially to diversity and inclusive excellence in higher education.” She was the first Black tenure-track faculty member in the Department of Communication at Villanova, where she served as Chair from 1998 to 2004, established an African-American rhetoric course and created the highly sought-after multicultural leadership course. As a researcher, Dr. Nance has investigated the perceptions and stages of interracial relationship development, diversity and inclusion, and intergroup dialogue. 

Dr. Nance also established the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration at Villanova and added the Freedom School lecture series to the yearly celebration. She was also one of the founders of the One Book Villanova program, a campus-wide effort that presents a book worthy of reading, discussion, course adoption, and the stimulation of dialogue among all members of the campus community. Most recently, she chaired Aequitas: The Presidential Task Force on Race. The Aequitas Task Force was charged with assessing the racial climate on campus, identifying areas for improvement, and creating a plan for enhancing the cultural competence of all students, staff and faculty. I am pleased to report that, thanks to Dr. Nance’s leadership, many of the task force’s recommendations have already been implemented at Villanova.

Apart from her numerous professional and academic contributions, Dr. Nance will likely be best remembered for her kind and generous demeanor coupled with a relentless pursuit of equity for all members of the Villanova community. She has been a tireless advocate for our students, faculty and staff, inspiring countless others across campus to do the same. Villanova was built on the premise of inclusivity, and Dr. Nance has been integral to helping Villanovans remain true to this foundation.

I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Nance for her contributions over the past four decades to further elevate the University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Countless members of our University community, including myself, have benefited tremendously from her leadership, knowledge, dedication, compassion and guidance.

Please join me in thanking Dr. Nance for her untiring service and commitment to Villanova University. Although she is retiring from the University, she will always be an important part of the Villanova community.

Sincerely,

Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA
President