In addition to advertising a position in a variety of publications, making
direct contact with academic departments, professional organizations, and
colleagues is an effective method of expanding your search (Ohio State
University Handbook, 1988).
The informal, "word-of-mouth" approach to recruitment is one of the most
successful practices for identifying candidates (Ohio State University Handbook,
1988).
Encourage faculty who will be attending professional conferences or who will be
delivering papers at other universities to combine their visits with recruitment
efforts for present and future positions. They may provide institutions and
potential candidates with general information about the university. They should
also be encouraged to solicit curricula vitae from promising candidates (Ohio
State University Handbook, 1988).
Establish a working relationship with similar departments at institutions with
substantial numbers of women and minorities. This will allow a host of mutually
beneficial activities to be undertaken, including a sharing of research
facilities and exchanges of faculty. Teaching for a quarter, delivering a paper
or simply making an informal visit, will allow university faculty to discuss job
openings with the faculty and students at these institutions (Ohio State
University Handbook, 1988). Maintain ongoing contact with professional organizations, associations, and
agencies that have a job referral service (Ohio State University Handbook,
1988).
Maintain close contact with women and minority graduates of the university and
encourage them to recommend this university to their students for both graduate
training and for faculty positions (Ohio State University Handbook, 1988). Invite women and minority scholars from other institutions to participate in
department-sponsored symposia and visiting professorships (Ohio State University
Handbook, 1988).
Sponsor or participate in job fairs in minority communities (Digh, 1999).
Ask minority employees to provide insight on effective places and ways to
recruit diverse candidates. Obviously, this strategy depends on how your
existing minority employees view the organization's commitment to diversity
(Digh, 1999).
Establish contact with faculty of color on campus or at a neighboring college or
with professionals in the local community (Turner, 2002). Establish and maintain contacts among minority interest groups affiliated with
national educational and disciplinary associations. Relationships with the
chairs or representatives of such groups should be established so that regular
communication eventually becomes a natural and institutionalized part of campus
interactions (Turner, 2002).
The Compact for Faculty Diversity (www.sreb.org/programs/dsp/dspindex.asp)
creates programs that foster a community of established faculty of color and
their peers to support students of color as they complete their degrees and
enter the profession. Departments with established links to programs like these
are more likely to attract candidates of color (Turner, 2002).
Personal communications via community leaders can serve as information networks
to alert interested individuals to job openings in teaching (Owens, Reis & Hall,
1994).
Fellowship programs that sponsor annual meetings are important because they
bring together senior and junior scholars. These programs create connections for
candidates who would not otherwise be known to members of search committees
(Smith, 1996).
Support efforts by deans or department chairs to attend conferences and meetings
to interact with minority and women scholars (Phillips, 2002).
