Diversifying the Faculty and Championing Inclusive Faculty Success
Diversifying the Faculty and Championing Inclusive Faculty Success
Our institutional goal is to increase the tenure density of faculty until we bring our campus tenure density back up to pre-recession levels. In addition to increasing tenure density, the investments we are making to hire more tenure-track faculty require us to be more intentional in our efforts to diversify the faculty. Diversity, equity, and inclusion should be more than aspirational values and ideals. By adopting more intentional, proactive and inclusive faculty hiring strategies, we can strive to ensure that the profile of the faculty reflects our student profile and the vibrant and diverse community that surrounds us.
Why? What is the rationale for diversifying the faculty? From a pragmatic perspective, we must do a better job of preparing and hiring faculty from diverse backgrounds so that our students have role models that reflect the diversity of our region and state. Our students want and expect to see themselves in the faculty and the curriculum. It is projected that racial and ethnic minorities will exceed 50 percent of the U.S. population before 2025. The current profile of our faculty reveals we have more work to do to recruit more women faculty in the sciences, engineering, and business and more faculty from underrepresented minority groups in the academy.
From an educational perspective, to provide a high quality, inclusive polytechnic education, we need to ensure that learning environments celebrate diversity and embrace inclusion. As an inclusive polytechnic university, we understand that our students are better prepared for leadership, civic engagement, and the future of work when they have engaged in project-based learning and have had the opportunity to work in teams with peers who bring diverse perspectives and approaches to solving complex problems. Cal Poly Pomona has a special obligation to ensure that the faculty, staff, and administrators we hire reflect the diversity of thought and experience needed to thrive and succeed in increasingly diverse environments. Regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, language, abilities/disabilities, socioeconomic status, or other defining characteristics—everyone at Cal Poly Pomona should feel welcomed and valued.
We continue to focus on improving recruitment efforts to reach women and underrepresented minority groups, and on working to make career opportunities at Cal Poly Pomona more visible and attainable. I appreciate your commitment to diversifying the faculty and in building a vibrant workforce that meets the needs of our diverse campus community.
06/08/2020