LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A longtime member of the Office of Multicultural Affairs at the University of Kansas has been named permanent director of the department, which provides diversity education programs across campus.

Precious Porras has been interim director of OMA since May and will become its new director on Jan. 4. She joined the office in 2005 and was named its assistant director of diversity education the next year.

Her appointment comes more than a month after protests led by a student group that says university administrators haven’t made progress on fixing problems faced by minority and “marginalized” students.

Porras expects to finish a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies at the university next year.