UT Austin fosters an environment of inclusive excellence in education, research, and public service that supports a diverse group of individuals with different perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. In support of the mutually reinforcing goals of diversity and excellence, the Office for Inclusion and Equity (OIE) partners with the Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs on initiatives to advance inclusive faculty recruitment and retention best practices and strategies. OIE staff also work closely with academic deans, department chairs, and search committee chairs to identify and implement inclusive recruitment best practices tailored to the specific goals of their organization. Through membership on the university-wide Council for Racial and Ethnic Equity and Diversity (CREED), OIE staff engages faculty and academic administrators in intentional and active conversations to recruit and retain more diverse faculty throughout the university.
“The toolkit effectively and thoroughly covers the key issues, challenges, and opportunities that are encountered before, during, and after the recruitment process. It has been carefully designed to be accessible and practical. I have found it to be very useful in faculty searches and I recommend not only its use but also its campus-wide adoption to guide all future searches.”
John A. Yancey
Fine Arts Diversity Committee Chair
Professor, Department of Art and Art History
College of Fine Arts
How OIE advances inclusive faculty search and recruitment processes:
- Collaborates with deans and department chairs to promote the adoption of best practices in the comprehensive Inclusive Search and Recruitment Toolkit for Faculty, Postdoctoral Fellows, and Graduate Students
- Develops research briefs providing in-depth information regarding specific search and recruitment strategies, i.e., how to minimize implicit bias in the screening process
- Facilitates working meetings with department chairs and search committee chairs to identify and share effective inclusive strategies tailored to specific academic discipline(s)
- Provides advice on development of action plans for inclusive faculty search and recruitment process
- Assists with the articulation of department’s commitment to diversity and inclusion via job announcements, websites, conference presentations, etc.
- Shares inclusive best practices being implemented within peer institutions and across UT Austin
- Meets with search committees to facilitate discussions about inclusive best practices
- Offers advice on the collection of relevant data in partnership with hiring unit and other appropriate campus entities
- Facilitates discussions with search committees regarding how to minimize the impact of implicit bias
- Provides examples of evaluation and screening tools designed to minimize implicit bias
- Serves as an equity advisor to search committees
How OIE advances inclusive retention best practices and strategies:
- Promotes use of comprehensive Inclusive Retention Toolkit for Faculty, Postdoctoral Fellows, and Graduate Students
- Consults with academic deans and department chairs regarding the development and implementation of active and intentional inclusive retention action plans
- Facilitates working meetings for department chairs regarding assessing and enhancing department climate
- Offers advice regarding the collection and production of relevant data in partnership with specific academic unit and other relevant campus entities
- Shares inclusive best practices being implemented across UT Austin campus and at peer institutions
- Leads discussions regarding the impact of implicit bias on faculty retention and the implementation of strategies to minimize bias
For more information on diversity planning, contact the Office for Inclusion and Equity at 512-471-1849.
