Start by Playing Fair Jonathan R. Alger, Senior Counsel, American Association of University Professors One of the most challenging issues facing diversity leaders is the task of recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty body. Sometimes, you have to review the rules of the game to make sure that you are applying them fairly to everyone.
Special initiatives designed to attract minority faculty are of particular concern.
The statistics on minority representation among tenure-track faculty in many disciplines remain alarmingly low, however. At several recent conferences on these issues, I have been disappointed to hear deans and affirmative action officers express the belief that their own faculties often create the highest hurdles to minority faculty recruitment and retention. Before pursuing new programs that might be legally susceptible, faculty members should first examine how they currently evaluate candidates for appointment and promotion. The search process for new faculty members is a good place to begin. Such questions can yield surprising answers.