Duke Divinity School’s first woman dean, steps down after a short two-year tenure

Duke Divinity School dean steps down as diversity struggle continues

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Source: Religion News Service

BY Yonat Shimron

DURHAM, N.C. (RNS) — Duke Divinity School’s first woman dean, Elaine Heath, has stepped down after a brief and rocky two-year tenure marked by student protests and struggles to build diversity on campus.

The school announced Thursday (Aug. 2) that Heath would be replaced by L. Gregory Jones, who served as dean of the school from 1997 to 2010.

Elaine Heath was hired in 2016 and oversaw the United Methodist-affiliated seminary with some 600 students and six degree programs during a turbulent time in which both African-American and LGBTQ students protested a lack of inclusion and diversity among faculty.

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