Rate My Professor Vorley Taylor

Vorley Taylor dedicated 28 years to Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) and The Ohio State University at Newark, retiring at the end of 2024. She began her career there as a financial aid advisor and spent the last 22 years in the Office of Student Life, which she helped establish, serving most recently as the Program Manager of Multicultural Affairs. In this capacity, Taylor provided visionary leadership for multicultural programming, fostering academic achievement and personal development among racial and ethnic minorities, permanent resident students, LGBTQIA+, women, and Muslim students. Her efforts extended to one-on-one mentoring, helping students realize their potential and engaging in intentional work with student employees.

Taylor spearheaded numerous impactful initiatives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. She organized the annual Community Intercultural Relations Conference, now in its 16th year, featuring nationally recognized speakers on social and cultural topics to raise awareness and build inclusive communities. She co-founded Diversity Through Artistry, a partnership with Legend Elementary that encourages youth to express diversity through art and earned recognition as the Ohio Association of Community Colleges Innovative Program of the Year, along with state and national awards from the Ohio College Personnel Association and American College Personnel Association. Other programs include the Black Heritage Gala, the longest-running student event, and the Fresh Image program for first-year students of color. She also served as chaperone and liaison for the COTC Italian Immersion Program and cultivated partnerships to expand opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and community members. Her service earned awards such as the 2023 COTC Legends of Loyalty, 2022 President’s and Dean/Director’s Diversity Award, 2022 COTC Transitions Alumni Award, 2020-2021 League for Innovation Excellence Award, 2013 Faculty/Staff Above and Beyond Award, and 2012 Ohio Colleges of Professional Administrators Equity and Inclusion Award. The Vorley Taylor Diversity & Inclusion Champion Award bears her name. Taylor earned an AAS in Business Management Technology from COTC (1996), a bachelor’s in organizational management from Wilberforce University, and a master’s in social and cultural foundations from Ohio State. She contributed to community leadership with United Way of Licking County, military family support, and Buffalo Soldiers events.