4.1 Action Item: Implement a faculty recruitment plan which includes continuation of the Thematic Faculty Initiative, and begin a Target of Opportunity hiring program.

Status: In Progress

Summary:

• The Provost and deans have identified strategic hiring priorities for faculty recruitment, including their objectives for recruitment of underrepresented groups. Regular training for chairs of faculty recruitment committees has been established. A targeted faculty recruitment program with diversity objectives is under review.
• During Spring 2018, the provost is working with each dean on strategic hiring priorities for faculty recruitment, which includes their objectives for recruitment of underrepresented groups.

4.2 Action Item: Institute diversity and implicit bias training for Faculty Search Committee chairs and increase training on faculty recruitment and hiring.

Progress: On Target

 

Summary:

• Beginning on May 1, 2018 the Office of the Provost began coordination of the trainings for faculty search committees, to ensure that the university is recruiting the best faculty to the Forty Acres across all disciplines. The workshops provide information to help search committee members understand how to yield a wide and diverse pool of candidates, and how to fairly and equitably evaluate them. Every faculty search committee chair is now required to attend this training. Other committee members are encouraged to complete the training as well.
• Six workshops were held in Spring 2018 and Fall 2018 with a total of 142 faculty participants. Two workshops are scheduled for Spring 2019.
• Faculty Search Committee Training is being revised based on a model used at Big 10 institutions. The goal of the Faculty Search Committee Training program is to create a group of faculty members capable of delivering the workshops anytime a department requests one. The program is in the design phase and is estimated to be complete in mid-March. Initial training will begin mid-April.
• Four Faculty Excellence and Diversity: Recruitment Strategies for Search Committees workshops were presented by Division of Diversity and Community Engagement staff during fall 2017; three are scheduled for spring 2018. Additionally, 20 faculty and search committee members participated in implicit bias workshops presented upon request.

4.3 Action Item: Assist academic departments in creating a more diverse faculty candidate pool.

Status: In Progress

 

Summary:

• The provost created the Faculty Recruitment Diversity Initiative to better support departments and units in the recruitment process. This initiative assists departments in widening their candidate pool to include candidates with different perspectives, backgrounds, and expertise with a commitment to diversity and excellence. Efforts are also underway to construct a pipeline database for each school/college
• The provost is working with each dean on strategic hiring priorities for faculty recruitment, including plans to develop more diverse faculty candidate pools. Additionally, the provost created the Faculty Recruitment Diversity Initiative which provides additional funds to allow departments to advertise to reach underrepresented groups and to bring additional candidates from underrepresented groups to campus. To access these funds, the search committee must be made up of diverse members with different perspectives, backgrounds, and expertise with a commitment to diversity and excellence. The search committee chair must complete documented diversity/inclusion training.

4.4 Action Item: Create an advocates/allies program among the faculty.

 Status: Update not yet available

Summary:

4.5 Action Item: Expand professional development offerings that convey inclusive approaches for improving classroom climate.

Status: On Target

Summary:

• The Graduate School partners with the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement to offer the Inclusive Classroom Leadership Certificate Seminar. The seminar engages Teaching Assistants and Assistant instructors on strategies for developing and sustaining an inclusive classroom climate through course design and communication strategies. Two Fall 2018 seminars reached 45 participants, with two seminars planned for Spring 2019. Additional new programming includes presentations are provided beyond the seminar such as the Inclusive Teaching and Learning Symposium, facilitated by the Faculty Innovation Center in both the fall and spring semesters.
• Through the Faculty Innovation Center and the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, the University has increased its efforts and offerings to faculty and graduate students on how to create an inclusive teaching and learning environment.
• The provost shared her perspective on what inclusivity means and why inclusive teaching and learning is an important, ongoing mission for all instructors at UT: https://youtu.be/dYr5pirpiL0. More resources are available to faculty at: https://facultyinnovate.utexas.edu/inclusive.
• Approximately 40 teaching assistants and assistant instructors participated in two sessions of the Inclusive Classrooms Leadership Certificate Seminar during the fall 2017 semester. Additionally, almost 30 faculty members participated in three sessions of the Faculty Inclusive Classrooms Leadership Certificate Seminar. The seminar is being offered twice during the Spring 2018 semester.

4.6 Action Item: Provide professional development opportunities for department chairs on creating and sustaining an inclusive culture and implement peer-led diversity workshops for department chairs

Status: Planning

Summary:

Beyond training opportunities related to search committees and classroom environments, the provost’s office is currently seeking proposals for a programmatic approach to this issue.

 

4.7 Action Item: Provide opportunities for development for mid-career diverse faculty.

Status: In progress

 

Summary:

• The University of Texas Executive Management and Leadership Program is a semester-long professional development program at UT Austin. The goal of the program is to develop expertise among university leaders to meet the business, leadership, and organizational challenges ahead for UT Austin. Top university leaders are encouraged to participate. Deans are encouraged to nominate women and faculty of color for participation in this program.
• The Office of the Provost is reviewing the Executive Management and Leadership Program 2016, 2017 and 2018 cohort lists for level of diversity and has asked the program leads to assess the program for ways to align with and meet this UDIAP goal.

4.8 Action Item: Increase pipeline of diverse candidates through postdoctoral programs.

Status: Planning

Summary:

UT’s practice of hiring postdocs does not lend itself to “increasing the pipeline of diverse candidates” in any systematic manner, as each postdoc is hired by individual Principal Investigators.  The postdoc job code is not required to follow the typical university recruitment process, where there might be an applicant pool to consider. On the other hand, enhancing postdoctoral professional development in a more robust and/or wholistic manner remains a worthy endeavor, very much akin to the professional development track of graduate students, who may share many of the same needs as postdocs as they advance in their careers.  Unfortunately, the OVPR was not aware, until now, of this UDIAP action item.

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Continue to 5. Staff.