Tech-Talks AQIP: Improving the Diversity of the Faculty

1. Tech-Talks AQIP: Improving the Diversity of the Faculty September 29, 2008 4 – 5pm

2. Academic Quality Improvement Program AQIP AQIP is structured around quality improvement principlesand processes and involves a structured set of goal-setting, networking, and accountability activities.

3. AQIP Cycles of Improvement • Action • One-year cycle • 3 or 4 Action Projects • Annual updates • Accreditation • Seven-year cycle • Check-up Visit • Reaffirmation of Accreditation • Strategy • Four-year cycle • Systems Portfolio • Systems Appraisal • Strategy Forum

4. AQIP Action Projects • Action Project Goals • Focus and highlight Michigan Tech’s efforts in undertaking specific improvement initiatives • Provide evidence to the HLC the Michigan Tech is seriously committed to a regimen of continuous improvement • Three Action Projects must be ongoing at all times • Information on the projects must be shared.

5. AQIP Categories Helping Students Learn Accomplishing Other Distinctive Objectives Understanding Students’ and Other Stakeholders’ Needs Valuing People Leading and Communicating Supporting Institutional Operations Measuring Effectiveness Planning Continuous Improvement Building Collaborative Relationships

6. Summary of Action Projects

7. AQIP – Increasing Faculty Diversity Bill Bulleit, Jackie Huntoon, Sherry Kauppi, Pushpa Murthy, Terry Reynolds

8. Committee Charge • Establish the procedures and content for chair/dean training, faculty involvement with searches, and the basic informational materials used in all searches that are likely to improve our success in attracting a diverse faculty.

9. History • Formed July 2006 • Met 2 – 4 times per month Sept. 2006 to April 2007 • First draft of final report 16 April 2007 • Final report – 15 February 2008 • Four recommendations • Suggestion for a new committee

10. Recommendation 1 • Michigan Tech should institute regular, compulsory briefings near or at the beginning of each academic year for the key figures involved in faculty search, recruitment, and hiring. • Key Figures: Deans, Dept. Chairs, and Search Committee Chairs

11. Briefings Contents • Design of ads to attract a diverse applicant pool • Additional methods to attract a diverse applicant pool • Guidelines to ensure that all applicants receive an equitable review (e.g., Moody, Rising Above Cognitive Errors, 2005, www.DiversityOnCampus.com) • Guidelines for conducting on-campus interviews

12. Recommendation 2 • Michigan Tech should make it a regular practice to conduct post-interview surveys of faculty candidates who interview on campus. • Help ensure that we are treating all candidates with respect and are sensitive to each candidate’s needs and concerns.

13. Recommendation 3 • Michigan Tech should implement several relatively simple modifications to its operations. • Enhanced dual career couples support • University support for extraordinary candidates • Web based • One click to faculty jobs • Website for pre-interview applicants

14. Recommendation 4 • Metrics should be used to measure the progress that Michigan Tech is making toward increasing the diversity of the faculty. • Process Implementation – e.g., number of faculty/chairs/deans briefed • Progress Results – e.g., 10-year running average for faculty diversity numbers and percentages

15. Future Committee • A committee should be formed to develop a University policy to enhance retention of faculty. • Each department should develop a written retention plan for each new faculty member in that department. • Specific suggestions for how this committee might enhance retention are included in our report.

16. Administrative Response • Recommendation 1: Institute regular, compulsory briefings for key figures involved in faculty search, recruitment, and hiring • Briefing of Deans and Chairs each fall via workshops and a web-based toolkit at faculty/staff homepage http://www.mtu.edu/facultystaff/ • Further training will be developed through the NSF-ADVANCE project • Full implementation is scheduled for fall 2009

17. Administrative Response • Recommendation 1: Attention should be paid to the design of ads and methods of increasing the diversity of the applicant pool • The NSF-ADVANCE project will address these issues by developing best practices for Michigan Tech • Also, a pilot project (STEP) in the ME-EM Department is focused on increasing the diversity and quality of the faculty applicant pool • SFHI-I used links in ads to rich information on the university, theme, resources, colleagues and guidelines for successful applications

18. Administrative Response • Recommendation 1: Guidelines for chairing a search committee and conducting on-campus interviews should be developed • Work on these areas began with the 2007-08 SFHI • Further work will be undertaken as part of the NSF-ADVANCE project

19. Administrative Response • Recommendation 2: Make it a regular practice to conduct post-interview surveys • The Action Project committee’s draft “post-interview survey” was reviewed by the Provost, Director of HR, and the AA Officer • It was implemented as pilot last year for selected searches • The results of the survey are being reviewed • The ADVANCE project will continue these efforts

20. Administrative Response • Recommendation 3: Implement several relatively simple operational modifications to encourage faculty diversity • Some of these recommendations would be costly, and need to be evaluated with reference to financial resources and teaching/research needs at the university • These may be revised or reconsidered at a later dates

21. Administrative Response • Recommendation 3: Implement several relatively simple operational modifications to encourage faculty diversity • Actions that have been, are currently being, or will be implemented include • Background information for potential applicants at HR website • SFHI-I and SFHI-II had/will have an informative pre-interview web-site for candidates; this will be adapted for Department/School searches • SFHI-I provided detailed information packets for interviewees; this will occur for SFHI-II and materials for packets will be provided to departments/schools for their candidates • Dual Career Assistance Program and associated web-site are established; 3 dual career arrangements have been achieved this year

22. Administrative Response • Recommendation 4: Metrics be used to measure the progress that the University is making toward increasing the diversity of the faculty • Process metrics will be collected as processes are enacted through the ADVANCE project • Result metrics have been collected over the past 5 years but a more “demographic” approach will be used in the ADVANCE project to more clearly track recruitment and retention

23. Administrative Response • Recommend that a future committee address retention issues • A mentoring subcommittee is being established as part of the ADVANCE project • This committee will develop a University-wide mentoring program • Implementation is scheduled to begin in the latter part of the Spring 2009 semester

24. QUESTIONSand OPEN DISCUSSION

25. Next Tech-Talks AQIP: Comprehensive University Space Inventory Process October 14, 1008 4 – 5 pm Alumni Lounge B