For 18 years, A Commitment to Growing an Inclusive Workplace

Dr. Bob Crouch, director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Office for Institutional Equity, has dedicated his career to one goal: helping make Duke a welcoming community where everyone can feel safe, included and respected.

He’s built a reputation one training, one relationship and one coaching session at a time.

“What’s so important to me is how people treat one another,” Crouch said. “A lot of what I’ve done that has been rewarding is I have made some significant contributions to building relationships.”

In individual sessions or large group settings for Duke’s Office for Institutional Equity (OIE), Crouch has facilitated trainings, consulted and coached staff and faculty to foster a welcoming environment across Duke.

After 18 years at Duke – a period in which he conducted approximately 750 trainings and reached thousands about a range of topics, from implicit bias to microaggressions and fostering respect and communication — Crouch will retire on Dec. 31.

Working@Duke spoke with Crouch about his time at Duke, and here are some highlights:

How he’s made a difference at Duke:

Over the years, Crouch’s knack for using examples, pop culture references and jokes helped him foster an approachable style that featured entertainment on top of learning.

He found common ground with audiences, connecting with people with a chuckle and smile, even over serious topics such as racial and social justice or implicit bias.

Judy Seidenstein, now associate dean and chief diversity officer for Duke’s School of Medicine, previously worked with Crouch in OIE and witnessed how he cultivated relationships that positively impacted many staff and faculty across the Duke community.

“He’s been a committed bridge builder…” she said. “As a Black man at Duke who has been facilitating this work for years with primarily white audiences, his ability to engage people from a place of trust and authenticity is part of his gift.”

Crouch has provided workshops across Duke during his tenure, including for the Patient Revenue Management Organization (PRMO), which is the centralized billing and collections office for the health system.

He trained PRMO teams about teamwork, helping units establish a behavioral covenant that helped them establish a standard for how to collaborate in decision-making processes. Now, due to the training, a closer-knit group has worked more efficiently, even in moments when they might disagree with each other.

“Bob has just been a wonderful resource for bridging the gap for our team members from a collaboration perspective regarding diversity and teamwork in the workplace,” said Joe Palumbo, director of Hospital Service Access for PRMO.  “We looked to him as the knowledgeable leader in that space.”

How the field of diversity and inclusion has changed: 

Discussions about diversity, equity and inclusion were different when Crouch first joined Duke as a cross-communication specialist for the Office for Institutional Equity.

Then, the field centered around aspects that you could see – race, gender, or age – but the field has expanded to include cultural differences, sexual orientation, religion and other factors. 

As Crouch transitioned to assistant director of diversity, equity and inclusion in 2003 and later director in 2017, his work toward a more inclusive environment has been marked by a shift in discourse.

Crouch has been inspired by a sustained effort and interest at Duke in advancing the diversity of identities and backgrounds and racial equity in response to the murder of George Floyd. Seeing people of all backgrounds work together inspires him for what might be possible in the future.

“That's the one thing that keeps giving me hope and doesn't keep from smothering my hope and my idealism,” Crouch said. “That good, decent people who really care, who really have the humanity, they show up, and that's what helps it to sustain.”

What’s next for him:

Crouch called Duke “one of the greatest institutions in the world.” But he’s ready to start the next chapter.

Crouch, who lives in Durham, plans to continue teaching as an adjunct criminal justice professor at North Carolina Central University and advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion across the state. He looks forward to consulting with organizations, including clients around the state and others across the country, such as the Chicago Federal Bureau of Prisons and Colby College in Maine.

He’s also looking forward to improving his golf game and traveling abroad with his wife, Robinette, to visit friends in Germany. To prepare for golf with friends next spring, Crouch hired a swing coach.

“Happy trails to you,” said Crouch, “until we meet again.”

Are you retiring soon – or do you know someone who is? Send shout-outs and photographs through our story idea form or write working@duke.edu.