2001

TO: Deans, Directors & Department Chairs

FROM: Devorah Lieberman, Vice Provost for Campus Initiatives

RE: The Diversity Hiring Resource Team

After the success of the university in attaining diverse faculty last year, the Diversity Action Council, in partnership with the President and Provost, is identifying ways our community can learn from the success of search committees in hiring highly qualified candidates who increase the diversity of our faculty. One outcome of this endeavor was the formation of the "Diversity Hiring Resource Team," composed of individuals who have considerable experience in hiring diverse faculty. The purpose of the Diversity Hiring Resource Team is to assist departments as they work to attract, hire and retain diverse faculty.

Members of the Diversity Hiring Resource Team include:

• Elaine Cohn (Affirmative Action)
• Samuel Henry (Chair of Curriculum and Instruction)
• Keith Kaufman (Chair of the Psychology Department)
• Sorca O'Connor (School of Education)
• Devorah Lieberman (Vice Provost for Campus Initiatives)
• Scott Minnix (Director of MESA)
• Karen Yelle (Human Resources)
• Burt Christopherson (Affirmative Action)

Along with their experience and expertise the team is equipped with a battery of resources for your assistance, i.e. case studies, literature, templates of letters and advertisements, and a variety of useful strategies for every step in the hiring and retention process.

By looking at the literature and talking to department chairs the team has identified several areas commonly in need of assistance:

• structuring the ad so as to attract the most diverse pool of candidates;
• disseminating the ads as strategically as possible;
• creating an interview climate and process that connects the candidate with the department, the university and the community;
• identifying resources offered in the university and the community that foster professional success; and,
• forming connections with the university as a whole.

Other Resources

• http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~eclark/recsrces/collblck.htm
• http://www.tribalcollegejournal.org/aihec.htm

These are just some of the areas with which the Diversity Hiring Resource Team can provide assistance. If you have any questions or comments about this opportunity please contact Devorah Lieberman at 725-5642 or liebermand@pdx.edu.