Naropa University President Stuart. C. Lord Announces the Appointment of Barbara Catbagan as the Special Advisor to the President for Diversity

Trusted advisor to Naropa, Students and Staff

Barbara Catbagan is a Core Faculty member in the Interdisciplinary Studies Department, and the past Director of General Counseling in the Transpersonal Counseling Psychology Department at Naropa University.  Barbara’s commitment to equity and inclusivity is grounded in her teaching background and association with the National Coalition for Equity in Education through which she works with institutions of higher education on issues and initiatives of equity, social justice, as well as personal and professional development. Her dedication to contemplative education has evolved through the intersection

of her daily practice, her many years as an educator and the opportunity to work with and learn from excellent colleagues at Naropa University.  Through Catbagan’s past work as the Director of the Human Rights Resource and Education Office for the City of Fort Collins, she facilitated professional development and community educational opportunities on topics of civility, communication and human rights, and investigated and mediated allegations of discrimination. As a certified mediator, she has worked with individuals and groups on workplace mediation and to settle disputes of discrimination. Barbara has presented locally and nationally on topics germane to diversity and social justice. She earned her M.Ed. with an emphasis on administrative leadership from Colorado State University.

“Diversity, inclusivity and equity are factors that impact everyone in any group, institution or society,” says Catbagan.  “One of the things I am tasked with is being a thinking partner to the Cabinet about their inclusivity plan and their diversity goals. Having one person who will pay attention to the plans and their assessment, creates one way in which the university is consistently thinking about how to improve through ideas born from inclusive perspectives and acting to achieve these goals.” 

The position was created in order to accomplish several key objectives for the university, including providing President Lord with counsel in understanding and meeting the needs of creating and sustaining a more diverse student, staff and faculty population, as well as assisting the Cabinet in establishing and measuring the success of diversity objectives within each division, and the development and implementation of quarterly diversity training for the Cabinet.

Naropa University envisions a greater integration of inclusivity, diversity and equity within each division and across the spectrum of the university. “The appointment of Barbara Catbagan as Special Advisor to the President for Diversity, with her wealth of experience and already established respect on our campus, will provide the university with a clear path to achieve our far-reaching diversity goals,” says President Lord.

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Naropa University is a private, nonprofit, nonsectarian liberal arts institution dedicated to advancing contemplative education. This approach to learning integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational traditions, helping students know themselves more deeply and engage constructively with others. The university comprises a four-year undergraduate college and graduate programs in the arts, education, environmental leadership, psychology and religious studies.

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