EIU Media Relations

Davenport Named Director of Minority Affairs at EIU

Effective July 1 of this year, Mona Davenport will have the word "interim" removed from her title as interim director of Eastern Illinois University 's Office of Minority Affairs.

Blair Lord, provost and vice president for academic affairs, announced that Davenport had accepted his offer to assume the position on a permanent basis. The offer was issued following a national search which brought several candidates to Eastern's campus.

"We've been very pleased with her work as interim director," Lord said, "and look forward to her continued leadership within the Minority Affairs area.

"Mona Davenport is ideally qualified to guide Eastern's institutional emphasis on initiatives related to diversity at all levels of the university and to foster relationship building among all the university's constituents," Lord added.

Davenport , who assumed her current duties following the October death of long-time Minority Affairs director Johnetta Jones, is no stranger to Eastern, having previously served in various staff positions in the Office of Minority Affairs.

Between 1991 and 1997, Davenport served as chief academic advisor for Eastern's Gateway Program. She also served as an academic advisor for the Department of African-American Studies and as the coordinator of the EIU/Colleges of Chicago Special Project (1991).

She gained additional experience at Governors State University , where she held the position of academic coordinator, and at Illinois State University , where she is was employed as a graduate assistant, University Housing Services.

She is continuing the pursuit of her doctoral degree in educational administration and foundations (higher education).