To help recruit women and minority faculty, examine search committee procedures.
Do the committee members have the benefit of any information or training to
broaden its perspectives?
Does it advertise in journals and periodicals that have a readership base of
minorities and women?
Does it use ranking data from historically black universities or other minority
serving institutions (Phillips, 2002)?
Require faculty search committee chairs to submit a report to the Office of
Diversity regarding the process used to enhance the pool of qualified women and
minorities and rationale for inclusion or exclusion of them in the final pool
(Kent State University Diversity Implementation Plan 2001-2005).
The search committee should be composed of individuals from diverse backgrounds
in order to provide a variety of perspectives (Ohio State University Handbook,
1988).
Many colleges and universities with low numbers of faculty of color have invited
doctoral graduates of color and scholars of color from neighboring institutions
or disciplinary associations to join their search committees (Turner, 2002).
Learn how to effectively interview diverse groups (Digh, 1999).
Understand the "cultural norms" of diverse candidates (Digh, 1999).
Search committees should develop a protocol to ensure fairness and consistency
in the search process, if standards do not already exist (Turner, 2002).
Faculty members should first examine how they currently evaluate candidates for
appointment and promotion (Alger, 2000).
Appoint a member of the search committee to serve as diversity advocate,
responsible for ensuring fairness and advocacy throughout the committee's
screening and selection activities (CEMRRAT, 1996).
Search committee members should be encouraged to write or talk about their
reasons for eliminating applicants and to address potential biases during the
screening and selection process (CEMRRAT, 1996).
The most successful search committees consider recruitment ongoing and do not
engage in one-shot recruiting invitations to a campus. Committees should look
for as many opportunities as possible to maintain contact with
minorities/potential applicants (CEMRRAT, 1996).
The search committee chair should document all recruiting and networking efforts
(including efforts to identify female and minority candidates) and maintain a
record of applications received classified by race and sex, where possible
(Dartmouth College Faculty Recruitment and Selection Guide, 2002).
The search committee should develop a proposed recruitment plan (Dartmouth
College Faculty Recruitment and Selection Guide, 2002).
The search committee chair should be responsible for informing the other members
of the search committee of affirmative action requirements and for insuring
their implementation throughout the search process (Dartmouth College Faculty
Recruitment and Selection Guide, 2002).
Personal subject biases of interviewers have been identified as a possible
discriminatory element. It might therefore be helpful to examine one's own
biases or stereotypes in order to determine how they affect the manner in which
questions are posed and responses are interpreted (Dartmouth College Faculty
Recruitment and Selection Guide, 2002).
Search committees should be given training to broaden their perspectives and
resources to ensure that they are reaching out to the complete pool of
potentially qualified applicants (Alger, 2000).
Colleges trying to hire minority faculty members need to re-evaluate who is
included on search committees (Smith, 1996).
Empirical evidence suggests that "women on faculty search committees have points
of view different from those of their male counterparts, at least on the
importance of diversity and the appropriateness of its role in faculty hiring" (Schwindt,
Hall & Davis, 1998).
