A Compilation of Departmental Self-Studies and Action Plans to Increase Faculty Diversity

The Diversity Sub-Committee of the Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is pleased to present online this compilation of individual College departments’ self-studies and action plans to increase faculty diversity. All 18 departments plus one program (Geography) submitted reports to the sub-committee.

Speaking on behalf of all members of the SPC Diversity Sub-Committee, Adele Lindenmeyr, Ph.D., chair of the subcommittee and chair of the department of history, said that the reports and plans represent a great amount of time, effort, and care that the individual departments devoted to their diversity reports.

“We are pleased by the very high quality of most of the reports, which provide considerable insights into the conditions that prevail in the various disciplines and the obstacles many face,” Dr. Lindenmeyr said. “At the same time, the reports present a wealth of proposals and ideas about how to achieve success in reaching and attracting faculty candidates who are women or members of underrepresented minorities, how to improve Villanova’s ability to hire them, and how to create conditions that enhance the university’s ability to retain faculty who are female or minority.”

The Rev. Kail C. Ellis, O.S.A., Ph.D., dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said that the compilation of reports is a reflection of the College’s collective recognition of the inherent connection between educational excellence and diversity.

“The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences takes justifiable pride in its role as an educational leader at Villanova University,” Father Ellis said. “The College exercises its leadership role in two ways: in its stimulation of educational innovation and in its commitment to and demonstration of continuing educational excellence. Certainly one need look no further than the Core Curriculum, the learning communities, our graduate programs, or the Honors Program. Each student who successfully matriculates through our programs stands as an example of the quality of our work; the ever-increasing number of our students selected as finalists and winners of prestigious post-baccalaureate scholarships are further testimony to the rigor of our pedagogical process.”

Father Ellis expressed his sincere gratitude to all departments for their participation in this process.

For more information on the Diversity Sub-Committee of the Strategic Planning Committee (SPC), please contact Adele Lindenmeyr, Ph.D., chair of the subcommittee and chair of the department of history, at adele.lindenmeyr@villanova.edu.

The Diversity Sub-Committee is chaired by Dr. Adele Lindenmeyr, chair of the history department. Members of the sub-committee include: Dr. Terry Nance, assistant vice president for multicultural affairs and professor of communication; Dr. Catherine Hill, associate dean; Dr. John Carvalho, chair of the philosophy department; Dr. Edwin Goff, associate dean and director of the Honors Program; Dr. Bernard Prusak, chair of the theology and religious studies department; Dr. Douglas Norton, chair of the department of mathematical sciences; Dr. Connie Titone, chair of the department of education and human services; and Dr. Kelman Wieder, associate dean for the sciences.