Prioritization of Recommendations
A. Recruitment
1. Short Term Action Plan (Up to 6 months)
1) Provide a set amount of diverse faculty hiring funds for departmental application to supplement departmental funds to recruit excellent diverse candidates;
2) Prioritize diversity in all faculty searches for the next three academic years across all departments with a report on faculty searches to be delivered each year from all faculty search committees to the President’s Diversity Council Steering Committee for review;
3) Update and link UI web pages with a Diversity Icon on the front page that will lead to diversity links across the University, including diverse academic programs; diversity resources on campus; diverse faculty who wish to be linked; and diversity student organizations; and
4) Develop a Diversity Brochure and Packet to be distributed to all departments and provided to all faculty applicants.
2. Long Term Action Plan (Up to 24 months)
1) Establish training protocol for Search Committees throughout all departments prior to initiating any new faculty searches;
2) Creation of an Outreach Diversity Plan which includes specific outreach efforts for obtaining a diverse applicant pool as a tool for all departments (e.g. incorporating diversity-oriented conferences as advertising locations for new faculty; diversity publications, etc.);
3) Develop a support network comprised of faculty/staff to meet diverse faculty candidates at the interview stage, a network that should also include allies; and
4) Attend to the availability of “Dual Career” hires.
B. Retention
1. Short Term Action Plan (Up to 6 months)
1) Establish a Multicultural Caucus of the Faculty Senate;
2) Provide permanent funding for receptions and gatherings of diverse faculty and staff;
3) Encourage the student campus newspaper, The Argonaut, to run an annual diversity series on educational initiatives and awareness programs; and
4) Establish the President’s Diversity and Excellence Award for outstanding faculty who have demonstrated exceptional diversity service for the previous academic year.
2. Long Term Action Plan (Up to 24 months)
1) Develop, distribute and review campus diversity and climate survey for all faculty;
2) Include diversity professional development as an annual evaluation criteria for all faculty and departments;
3) University-wide research award for scholarship dealing with diversity – may be a function of the Multicultural Caucus created in the Faculty Senate; and
4) Evaluate and develop the curriculum with content relevant to diversity initiatives to support diverse scholarship of diverse faculty.
Overall Recommendation: University-wide targeting of diversity in all faculty hiring searches for the next three years at a minimum.