Teresa A. Nance, PhD 
Associate Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Chief Diversity Officer; Professor of Communication | College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | Villanova University
Villanova, PA, UNITED STATES
Dr. Nance is a leader in diversity and inclusion in higher ed, specializing in interpersonal communication and multicultural affairs.
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Areas of Expertise (6)
Diversity and inclusion in higher education
Diversity in Higher Education
Diversity and Inclusion
Professional Presentation
African-American Performance
African-American Rhetoric
Biography
The need to improve human interaction by developing communication skills that display sensitivity to cultural, racial and ethnic diversity has never been greater than it is today. With her dual specializations in interpersonal communication and multicultural affairs, Dr. Nance is an expert in African-American rhetoric and performance, as well as a good source for information on impression management, conflict resolution, cultural diversity and interpersonal communication.
In 2015—to further elevate the University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion—Villanova created the Office of Diversity and Inclusion led by Dr. Nance, who was named Associate Vice Provost of Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer. The office has since been renamed the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) and Dr. Nance has been elevated to Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer. ODEI supports Villanova’s continuing efforts to create a welcoming and diverse community at all levels, including students, faculty, administrators and staff.
Dr. Nance can discuss the topics of diversity and inclusion in higher education. This includes efforts to create a welcoming and diverse campus environment, retention and success of students from underrepresented groups and the recruitment retention and promotion of faculty and staff from underrepresented groups.
Education (3)
Temple University: PhD
Emerson College: MS
Emerson College: BA
Select Accomplishments (1)
Frank W. Hale, Jr. Distinguished Service Award (professional)
2018-03-09
Recognized by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) with the Frank W. Hale, Jr. Distinguished Service Award, for her contribution to diversity and inclusion in higher education
Links (1)
Select Media Appearances (4)
Tour exposes students to their unconscious bias
Philadelphia Tribune
2017-10-21
CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace, has launched the “Check Your Blind Spots” tour at Villanova University. “It’s just another time at Villanova where we can sort of stop and think about diversity and inclusion in a real way and how it impacts our lives as people, “ Terry Nance, associate vice provost for Diversity and Inclusion and chief diversity officer at Villanova University, said in reference to the tour. “The other thing that I am excited about is breaking down the silos between business and the academic world. I am looking forward to the opportunity to learn from our colleagues in all arenas how we can ultimately do this business of diversity and inclusion better.”
The Aftermath of a ‘Trump’ Incident: Fear, Anger, and Resolve
The Chronicle of Higher Education
2016-11-23
When postelection tensions began breaking out on campuses across the country, Teresa A. Nance, associate vice provost for diversity and inclusion at Villanova University, felt sympathetic but insulated.
Villanova Asks Professors to Discuss Postelection Tensions in Class
The Chronicle of Higher Education
2016-11-15
"It is important for faculty to acknowledge the seriousness of these events and the fact that such actions have no place on our campus," wrote Patrick G. Maggitti, Villanova’s provost, and Teresa A. Nance, associate vice provost for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer, in a joint email to the faculty at the Roman Catholic university near Philadelphia.
Villanova class explores slowly emerging diversity
Philadelphia Inquirer
2012-02-22
But the multicultural leadership and dialogue class, professors hope, will help students find that courage and wisdom. The three-hour, Wednesday night class is taught by three communication professors, including Villanova's assistant vice president for multicultural affairs and a philosophy professor - all diversity specialists. "Students may learn something from us, but mostly they learn from each other," said Terry Nance, multicultural affairs vice president.
Select Academic Articles (3)
Building New Cultures, Reframing Old Images: Success Strategies of Interracial Couples
Howard Journal of Communications2010 This work examines the relationship strategies employed by Black-White interracial couples and considers their unique challenge in managing a relationship that commands so much public scrutiny. The field of communication has highlighted many differences in racial styles. This work attempts to explore how intimate communication across racial lines can and does work effectively. The authors consider four stages of relationship development (racial awareness, coping, identity emergence, and maintenance) to explore the communication requirements at various stages of the couple's life together.
From Miscegenation to Multiculturalism: Perceptions and Stages of Interracial Relationship Development
Journal of Black Studies1999 Our first blueprint for social interaction comes from our family of origin. To a large extent, this blueprint is base on culture. We have come to understand how outside influences affect in-group communication. However, much investigation still needs to be conducted to understand communication when individuals from different groups engage in ongoing and intimate relationships, such as inter-racial marriage.
Hearing the Missing Voice
Journal of Black Studies1996 When thinking of the civil rights movement, the name that most often comes to mind is that of the charismatic leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. Those more familiar with the movement and its history would add the names of Ralph Abernathy, James Forman, Andrew Young, Jesse Jackson, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
