VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University’s Darius Thomas recently earned the 2023 Association for Student Conduct Administration Equity and Inclusion Leadership Award.
“Receiving this award was an honor, and it came at a very pronounced time of my career and personal life,” said Thomas, who joined the VSU staff in July 2022 as director of Student Conduct and Title IX for the Division of Enrollment and Student Affairs.
“This award is a reminder for me to keep going and not allow the world to dim my light or discourage me from showing up in spaces as my authentic self. Being the subject and object of equity and inclusion work can at times be overwhelming. However, I am committed to ensuring that there is space for marginalized individuals to be seen, heard, valued and respected.”
The Equity and Inclusion Leadership Award recognizes an ASCA member who has shown outstanding commitment, persistence and innovation in working on equity and inclusion efforts. Thomas joined the organization in 2017, university officials said in a statement.
When addressing allegations of student misconduct on campus, Thomas said he approaches his work from a place of advocacy and care.
“This work is important to me because I recognize the impact that it has on a student’s academic career and development; therefore, I do not take the responsibility I have been entrusted with lightly,” he said. “I am interested in helping others understand how student conduct plays a role in the retention and success of our students. This work helps protect the academic mission of the university and helps influence the safety of the campus community.”
Thomas received the Equity and Inclusion Leadership Award during the 2023 ASCA Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon. During the four-day event, he joined Laura Harris of Agnes Scott College and Roger Newell of East Carolina University for a presentation titled “Can We Talk About It: Addressing Biases in the Student Conduct Process.”
“As conduct professionals, we have the responsibility of addressing student behavior while ensuring our processes are inclusive and equitable,” he explained. “This, at times, can create competing narratives around the nature of our work and how our processes can impact the student experience at our respective institutions.”
As an active member of ASCA, Thomas “devotes his time to fostering a student experience that is affirmational, inclusive, equitable and restorative, and his efforts have not gone unnoticed,” university officials said.
He served as coordinator for ASCA’s 2022 Donald D. Gehring Academy Mid-Level and Aspiring Directors Track. He earned ASCA’s 2022 Southeastern Student Conduct Institute Raymond H. Goldstone Foundation Scholarship.
Thomas previously worked in student conduct at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of West Georgia.