Amit Taneja

He/Him/His

Senior Vice President, Chief IDEA Officer

Executive Team
Office of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA)

About Amit

Amit Taneja currently serves as the inaugural senior vice president and chief inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA) officer at Chautauqua Institution. He provides leadership on a number of institutional priorities to make Chautauqua more diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible, including the creation of the IDEA strategic plan, hiring, training, policy issues and practice updates. Amit engages with the leadership of various Chautauqua community groups and all Chautauquans on IDEA related initiatives. He is delighted to consult with groups or individuals that want to create their own IDEA related goals that support the larger IDEA strategic plan. He is especially passionate about engaged dialogue and partners with several institutional offices and personnel to infuse IDEA principles and practices in the work of the staff, board and community organizations.

Amit previously served as the associate provost for diversity, equity and inclusion at the College of the Holy Cross and as the chief diversity officer at Hamilton College. He has two decades of experience working broadly in IDEA work within higher education. He is a first-generation college student and completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of British Columbia, and a master’s degree in college student personnel from Bowling Green State University. He is ABD (all but dissertation) status in the Higher Education doctoral program at Syracuse University. His scholarly research focuses on LGBTQ Students of Color in higher education. He served on the executive committee of the Consortium for Faculty Diversity, as co-chair of the Consortium of LGBTQ Resource Professionals in Higher Education, and as the president of the Liberal Arts Diversity Officers (LADO) Consortium. He has previously worked professionally in academic affairs, residence life, disability services, multicultural affairs and LGBTQ resources. He serves as a consultant and speaker on a range of leadership, diversity and inclusion topics.

Amit enjoys gardening, flying kites, and making bow ties, and he is a techno DJ with his own podcast. He put his bowtie-making efforts on hold during the pandemic and made and donated more than 200 masks to essential workers, those working in health care facilities, and those at higher risk of COVID-19.

Why did you choose to work at Chautauqua? What do you like about working at Chautauqua?

Chautauqua’s four pillars – Arts, Education, Religion and Recreation – offer a unique combination of areas that invite us to engage with life-long learning, and I love that shared commitment for all Chautauquans!

Current and Former Volunteer or Board Roles

In addition to the organizations listed in my bio section, I currently serve as the co-chair of the Steering Committee for the Chautauqua County IDEA Coalition, a collective of community organizations, non-profits, businesses and government agencies that want to further IDEA goals within Chautauqua County! I am also on the board of directors for the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation.

Professional Affiliations

Refer to bio

Personal Interests

Gardening, flying kites, and making bow ties; he is a techno DJ with his own podcast