Sacred Heart University has hired Anne Burmeister as Director of Equity Compliance and Support. Burmeister will be joining the ambitious team of the Office for Inclusive Excellence that is being led by Maurice Nelson, the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.
“My work deals primarily with anti-discrimination and anti-harassment initiatives. I work across the university to develop and implement policies and guidelines that protect against discrimination and further inclusion for all members of the SHU community,” said Burmeister.
In the past, Burmeister has worked with other universities taking on different roles, everything from admissions to research to the legal department.
Every day is different for Burmeister as she does not have one set daily schedule. “Some days, I am helping individuals through very personal experiences or working with university partners to take appropriate measures. Other days I am working with teams in departments and programs across SHU on initiatives that help prevent discrimination and make meaningful progress toward inclusion,” said Burmeister.
Burmeister was greatly drawn to Sacred Heart. Her favorite part is the people here and the overall energy of the school. She hopes to have a strong impact.
“I have been heartened and humbled by the sincere commitment to inclusion and belonging from so many different parts of the university. There are people everywhere: in every program and in every building who are committed to the work that fosters equity and belonging in their realms of the SHU community. They are sharing that energy and work with the Office for Inclusive Excellence team. I will do my best not to waste an ounce of it; playing my role to facilitate their efforts into mechanisms that foster inclusion and belonging here at SHU,” said Burmeister.
Source: Tracy Deer-Mirek, Sacred Heart University
Official headshot for Anne Burmeister, new Director of Equity Compliance and Support at Sacred Heart.
Students are hopeful and optimistic upon the arrival of Burmeister at Sacred Heart University.
“I feel as though this is an issue on campus that most people aren’t fully aware of, so I hope that Ms. Burmeister will be able to help students and make a difference on campus,” said Junior Emma Giedraitis.
“I think it’s important to have a Director of Equity Compliance and Support on campus to ensure equality throughout Sacred Heart University. I think she will bring awareness to unspoken issues that may have gone unaddressed by the school,” said, Senior Nicole Uttaro.
Being the Director of Equity Compliance and Support is a very rewarding job for Burmeister.
“I like opportunities to collaborate. I like the creative problem-solving that happens among a team of people from different areas that come together on an initiative. When your results reflect that process, it’s really rewarding,” said Burmeister.
Burmeister is directly devoted to social justice and equity among all. One factor that led her to SHU was the dedication they had for social justice.
“For me, it is a moral imperative. But even if that doesn’t resonate as strongly with you, we understand how diversity builds strength and resilience in natural and human-made environments,” said Burmeister. “Committing to systems that allow every individual to realize their full authentic selves means they are free to contribute their innate strengths, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and beauty to all of us. That makes a stronger, more resilient society.”
