Applicant Diversity Statements in Senate Faculty Searches

SENATE FACULTY

RE: Applicant Diversity Statements in Senate Faculty Searches

Dear Colleagues:

After consultation with the Senate, academic Deans, and Vice Provosts, I have decided to require diversity statements for all remaining Senate faculty searches in the 2017-18 hiring cycle. This requirement is effective immediately, for all searches that have not yet launched in UC Recruit.  Searches already advertised and open in UC Recruit may continue as launched.  At the conclusion of the year, we will conduct a survey of search and department chairs to assess this change.

Over the past two years, several of our departments have instituted a diversity statement requirement for their searches.  Two of the most recent were contacted and both of them deem the requirement beneficial and effective.  And starting this year, the Deans of Physical and Biological Sciences and of Engineering have already made them mandatory for all Senate searches in their divisions.

The 2017-18 diversity statement requirement will bring consistency to our campus search policies, enhance our efforts to support diversity, and bring us in line with the six other UC campuses that already require diversity statements in faculty searches.

We are likely to receive applications from excellent candidates who have little experience in promoting diversity, just as we currently attract applications from qualified candidates who have little or no teaching experience.  Our teaching statement requirement is designed to ensure that applicants have thought about pedagogy—whether or not they are seasoned teachers.  Mandatory diversity statements will similarly allow us to assess the thoughtfulness of applicants on this vital issue, regardless of their past experience. 

Guidance for candidates in thinking about their diversity statement is posted at https://apo.ucsc.edu/employment/ApplicantDiversityStatements.html