Wednesday, August 4, 2010

OPS 5-3: Strategies and tactics for recruiting to improve diversity and excellence: A five year effort to diversify the science faculty at the University of Michigan

John Vandermeer, University of Michigan

Background/Question/Methods How to imrove the inclusion of women and minorities in the sciences.

Results/Conclusions As part of the ADVANCE program at the University of Michgian, a committee of professors from a variety of disciplines was created, the committee on Strategies and Tactics for the Recruiting to Improve Diversity and Excellence (STRIDE) was formed. The STRIDE Committee provides information and advice about practices that will maximize the likelihood that diverse, well-qualified candidates for faculty positions will be identified, and, if selected for offers, recruited, retained, and promoted at the University of Michigan! The committee leads workshops for faculty and administrators involved in hiring. It also works with departments by meeting with chairs, faculty search committees, and other department members involved with recruitment and retention.  We report on the overall activities of the committee and especially on the impact it has had in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan.