Mission-Driven Leadership: Marquisha Frost Aligns Equity and Institutional Values at ULV

Mission-Driven Leadership: Marquisha Frost Aligns Equity and Institutional Values at ULV

Marquisha Frost will speak at the Ludwick Center Sacred Space on February 12(ULV Photo/Brandon Le)

The associate vice president for inclusive excellence and mission integration shares how equity, data, and shared accountability are shaping student success and campus culture at the University of La Verne

Inclusion isn't optional for Marquisha Frost - it's the foundation of her work at the University of La Verne. As associate vice president for inclusive excellence and mission integration, she leads efforts to align equity, accountability, and the University's core values. A scholar-practitioner with a Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University, Frost takes a data-informed, mission-driven approach to advancing student success and institutional change. ULV News spoke with her ahead of her What Matters to Me & Why presentation February 12 at the Ludwick Center Sacred Space to hear what drives her work.

How do you define "inclusive excellence," and what does it look like in day-to-day practice across a university?

Inclusive excellence is the intentional integration of equity, belonging, and academic quality into every aspect of the university's work. It recognizes that excellence is not achieved despite diversity, but because of it. In day-to-day practice, inclusive excellence shows up in equitable hiring and promotion practices, inclusive pedagogy and curricula, student-centered support systems, and transparent decision-making processes that consider differential impacts across communities. It means data-informed actions to close opportunity gaps, campus climates where individuals feel respected and heard, and shared accountability across divisions. Ultimately, inclusive excellence is not a standalone initiative, but a sustained commitment that shapes how we teach, learn, lead, and serve, ensuring all members of the community can thrive and contribute fully. I believe that this approach to the way we learn, work, and serve has the potential to positively shape, impact, and catapult ULV into the future as a premier institution for a quality education and experience for those in pursuit of more and better in higher learning.

What are your top priorities in your first year in this role, and how will you measure progress or success?

In my first year, my priorities are building trust and bridges via strong partnerships across campus, assessing current inclusive excellence efforts, and aligning them more clearly with institutional goals. This includes listening to faculty, staff, and students; reviewing policies and practices for equity impacts; and strengthening data infrastructure to support evidence-based decision-making. I am also focusing on clarifying goals, roles, and shared accountability for inclusive excellence. Thus far, progress is being measured through both quantitative and qualitative indicators, such as retention and success metrics, climate survey results, participation in professional development, and evidence of inclusive practices embedded in academic and operational units. Much of this data is currently being collected and assessed, and I am hopeful that in my second year it will be used to inform progress and the next steps of this work. I'd say success is momentum, clarity, and a shared sense of ownership across the institution. The more that folks see themselves and their work represented in and through mine, the better we are as an institution.

What does "mission integration" mean to you, and how do you ensure the University of La Verne's values are reflected in policies, programs, and decision-making?

Mission integration, to me, is ensuring that the University of La Verne's core values-ethical reasoning, diversity and inclusion, lifelong learning, and community engagement-are not just aspirational statements but active guides for institutional practice. It requires translating values into concrete criteria for evaluating policies, programs, and decisions. I ensure this by embedding mission-based questions into planning, assessment, and governance processes; partnering with campus leaders to align initiatives with institutional values; and using data to examine whether outcomes reflect our commitments. Mission integration also involves continuous reflection and dialogue, recognizing that living our values requires adaptability and accountability. When the mission informs daily decisions, inclusive excellence becomes an institutional norm rather than an add-on, which is ultimately my goal in this work.

How can faculty, staff, and students actively contribute to advancing inclusive excellence, and what support do they need to do so effectively?

Faculty, staff, and students play essential roles in advancing inclusive excellence through their daily actions, scholarship, teaching, leadership, and engagement. Faculty contribute through inclusive pedagogy, curriculum design, and mentoring; staff through equitable policies, student-centered services, and operational practices; and students through leadership, advocacy, and peer support. To do this effectively, they need clear expectations, access to professional development, time and resources, and leadership support that values and rewards inclusive work. They also need transparent communication, meaningful opportunities for participation in decision-making, and data that helps connect individual efforts to institutional impact. I think my serving in this role will help align a process and approach by which we achieve this. When community members are supported and recognized, inclusive excellence becomes a shared and sustainable responsibility. That's the pathway forward for us through Inclusive Excellence and Mission Integration. It's why I moved back to California and why I accepted the job. So much of what's taking shape here for me professionally is tied to what I believe personally, and I feel extremely privileged to lead this work at ULV at this time in the University's journey.