Minnesota State Names Interim Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion

ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 16, 2024 - The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities has named Rassheedah "Eda" Watts to serve as interim vice chancellor for equity and inclusion. The appointment becomes effective October 28.

"Eda brings a proven track record in leading impactful equity-focused collaborations and building strong partnerships across various BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities," said Scott Olson, chancellor of Minnesota State. "Her experience and passion will be tremendously valuable overseeing initiatives that promote access, equity, and inclusion across Minnesota State."

Dr. Watts is an accomplished strategic executive experienced in designing and executing innovative diversity initiatives that advocate and advance educational equity and cultural values, increase morale, and reduce attrition.

She has served North Hennepin Community College since 2020 as associate vice president for equity and inclusion and vice president, equity, inclusion and culture. There she works in tandem with cabinet leaders cultivating partnerships for student success and community inclusion. She also leads the Diversity Strategic Plan to ensure its alignment with the Minnesota State Equity 2030 initiative. In this capacity, one of her key accomplishments has been co-founding the Be Bold program in partnership with the NHCC Career Technical Education/ Workforce Development department. This program connects underrepresented career and technical education students with local business leaders, increasing retention and improving employment outcomes. This effort directly supports two core focus areas of Equity 2030: enhancing access and student success and providing the state with the talent it needs.

Previously, she served Blackburn College (IL) from 2017 to 2020 as the director of diversity, inclusion, and student success. In this role, she provided counsel on cultural and racial crisis management, equitable policy best practices, and discrimination complaints, and she supported historically marginalized student populations.

She also served Santa Monica Community College in various capacities from 2009 to 2017, Analytic Investors Investment Management from 2007 to 2009, and she worked as an independent marketing manager and logistics supervisor from 2002 to 2007.

She holds a bachelor's degree from San Francisco State University, a master's from Southern New Hampshire University, and a doctorate from Trevecca Nazarene University (TN).

Dr. Watts succeeds Andriel Dees who has served Minnesota State since 2019 and recently accepted a role outside the system. The search for a permanent replacement will begin immediately.

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Minnesota State includes 26 community and technical colleges and seven state universities serving approximately 270,000 students. It is the fourth-largest system of two-year colleges and four-year universities in the United States.