UCSF is using new tools and tactics to help keep track of the diversity and demographics of its faculty and those who seek faculty positions.
UCSF has officially introduced an academic database to track faculty searches and analyze how the University compares with national availability data.
“The fact that we’re starting to do this is an indication of our administrative commitment to diversity,” said Sally Marshall, PhD, vice provost of Academic Affairs. “We’ve tried over the last few years to increase the diversity of the pool, but we don’t know how well we’re doing because we don’t have self-reported diversity data on enough of the applicants. In using an electronic version, we anticipate a better response from the applicants.”
A project of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Academic Diversity (CACAD), the database is a groundbreaking step forward toward improving faculty searches and moving the University closer to fulfilling its diversity initiative and UCSF Strategic Plan. The strategic plan lists “nurturing diversity” as one of its seven priorities and calls on the University to “educate, train and employ a diverse faculty, staff and student body.”
The academic database functions by tracking applicant demographics, capturing current campus workforce data and reporting national availability data, which is crucial in the effort to monitor UCSF’s progress in nurturing diversity,” said Renee Navarro, MD, PharmD, director of academic diversity and a member of the CACAD.
The database will increase the effectiveness of the faculty search process by:
- Allowing UCSF leaders and search committees to easily view campuswide, school and department-specific reports on ethnicity and gender, thereby allowing them to see progress
- Centralizing vacancy and applicant information;
- Making real-time information on the applicant pool easily accessible and
- Allowing search committees to say on track with recruitment goals.
The system was designed by Alan Carpenter, who has sought wide input from the CACAD and others to allow for an easy user interface so that relevant data can be readily accessed.
The national availability data are collected through the Office of Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity and Diversity (AAEOD). Michael Adams, director of the AAEOD, works closely with Carol Miller, academic data manager for UCSF Academic Affairs, to further refine the data into categories that are most relevant for department heads. “By further breaking down the data, we can better see where the gaps area and where we need to make improvements,” Adams said.
The goal of collecting and analyzing the data is to improve upon current practices. “We want the academic database to be a springboard for us to conduct best practices in faculty searches,” Navarro said.
A Proactive Approach
Once a search is approved by Vice Provost Marshall and applications begin arriving at the department for the open position, the applicant information is entered into the database.
An applicant data form is then immediately sent electronically to the applicant to complete. The form is a survey which asks for the applicant’s gender, ethnicity, geographic location and recruitment source – how the applicant learned about the position. The idea is that job candidates will complete the online survey, which will be captured in the database. This will allow search committee chairs to compare the applicant pool for their open position with the national availability data.
During the interview process, Navarro and the search committee chair will receive a report capturing the applicant demographics for an open position. This report displays the actual applicant pool demographics side by side with the estimated applicant pool demographics.
The purpose is to help increase faculty diversity by giving the search committee chair and Navarro a chance to be proactive about achieving a diverse pool of applicants during the hiring process. Search chairs are provided information regarding advertising sites and sources likely to reach a broad demographic of qualified individuals. The database supports immediate accessing of information, which, in turn, supports leadership’s ability to effect change during the process and to have a greater impact on achieving faculty diversity.
Recently, a group of participants consisting of dean’s office managers and department administrators from the schools of dentistry, nursing and pharmacy were trained on the system.
Lissette Irizary, an administrative assistant in the dental school, is using the database to support the search for an open tenure-track faculty position. “I found the tool to be very user-friendly and extremely simple,” she said. “Also, if I had any questions, I found the Office of Academic Affairs to be very helpful.”
Misty Loetterle, academic diversity program coordinator for UCSF Academic Affairs, will play a key role in managing the database. “The database will hold search committee chairs and the University more accountable to our current diversity initiatives,” she said. “The system will allow us to track our progress in the years to come and measure our effectiveness.”
The academic demographic database is an important step forward in building upon UCSF’s commitment to diversity.
“The system not only facilitates best practices for faculty searches, but also improves transparency by providing timely demographic information about the current faculty,” Navarro said. “The commitment of our leadership is evident in the development and implementation of this new system.”
