In today's workplace, most people will do anything they can to keep their job, but Overtoun Jenda, associate provost for diversity and multicultural affairs, spends every day working to make his job obsolete.
As the provost for diversity and multicultural affairs, Jenda strives to make sure every group of people in Auburn's community is represented. Unfortunately for Jenda, this means he does not have absolute job security.
"The way it goes in the diversity office is that we are always looking for a time when we don't have to work," Jenda said. "We always work very hard to see if we can eliminate our daily function. There's all these things to be done so that, like Martin Luther King said, one day it doesn't matter who you are or what you look like or the color of your skin, everyone can just get along."
Their goal is to make sure that diversity becomes "institutionalized," Jenda said.
He would not mind if he worked himself out of a job. After all, Jenda said he never imagined he would work in a position such as his in the first place.
"I left Africa because I did not want to do administration," Jenda said. "I wanted to do my research so I came here to do my research. Usually you cannot dictate the path that has been created for you so I'm doing exactly what I didn't want to do in Africa, but I'm enjoying it."
Born in Malawi, Jenda was the first-born of his seven siblings.
Jenda said his father, a high school teacher, always emphasized the importance of education.
After receiving a bachelor's with distinction from the University of Malawi, Jenda attended the University of Kentucky where he received both a master's degree and doctorate in mathematics.
Jenda went on to teach at the University of Malawi, University of Botswana and his alma mater. It was not until 1988 that Jenda was set on the path that led him to his current administrative position.
"I came to Auburn in 1988 to teach mathematics, not to do diversity so I don't know how I ended up in here," Jenda said. "I really only wanted to teach mathematics, but at some point I started working with minority students on campus. Really to help them to focus and do well in mathematics so I started tutoring them and that program grew and grew to the point where it is now."
Jenda was appointed to the position of associate provost of the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs on Jan. 1, 2006. Since then, Jenda has worked to create an Auburn University community that represents everyone equally.
"Our goal in the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs is to help Auburn fulfill its mission, and our first goal in that is to help underrepresented groups on campus," said Paulette Dilworth, assistant vice president for
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