Equity Case Studies Report - School of Social Work - University of ...

UBC school of social work equity and diversity strategic plan: A compilation of case studies 105
Best Practices for Faculty Selection
According to the University of California Affirmative Action Guidelines for Faculty
Recruitment and Retention,
The Federal affirmative action regulations provide the University with great flexibility in
developing action-oriented programs and demonstrating good faith efforts to provide
equal employment opportunity in faculty hiring. However, Proposition 209 does not
permit the University to grant preferences on the basis of race or gender in the selection
process for academic appointments. Therefore, programs that allowed departments to
consider affirmative action in hiring decisions such as the Target of Opportunity for
Diversity and the “tie-breaker” policy are no longer available as tools to increase
academic employment opportunities for women and minorities. However, there are still
important steps that departments can take that will serve to ensure that faculty selection
practices provide equal opportunity for all candidates and do not inadvertently create
barriers or biases in the selection. (University of California, 2002)
The Affirmative Action Guidelines promotes best practices for faculty selection by
analyzing the pool by reviewing the applicants prior to beginning the selection process to
determine if women and minority applicants are represented in the pool. If women and minority
applicants are not present in the pool at about the rate of their estimated availability in the field,
then departments should review whether recruitment and outreach procedures were sufficiently
broad, and if not, consider reopening the search with expanded inclusive recruitment efforts
(University of California, 2002).
Best Practices for Faculty Retention
The UC Affirmative Action Guidelines encourages campuses to be attentive to any
retention problems that may negatively affect faculty diversity and equal employment
opportunity (University of California, 2002). In addition, federal affirmative action regulations
require UC campuses to collect data on race and gender on promotions, transfers, and
resignations to ensure that efforts are made to address any racial or gender-based inequities that
may be indicated in the data (University of California, 2002). Other tools to address any equity
issues connected to faculty retention include:
1. Exit interviews.
2. Mentoring junior faculty with formal mentoring programs and workshops to assist in the
tenure process.
3. Faculty development programs that provide financial support and/or release time to
support research and assist junior faculty in their progress toward tenure, reward faculty
who are engaged in research focused on issues such as race, ethnicity, gender, and
multiculturalism, and allocate resources to faculty who have demonstrated a commitment
to issues of social, education, and economic justice through their teaching and service.
4. Accommodating special needs. For example, implementing policies concerning leave
and modified duties to accommodate faculty with parenting, medical, and disabilityrelated
needs. Other examples include childcare resources and facilities being available
to faculty.
5. Monitoring pay equity through conducting periodic summary level salary reviews to
ensure that disparities in pay on the basis of race or gender do not exist. If problem areas
are found, campuses are strongly encouraged to investigate individual cases. (University
of California, 2002)