Lead
Rudy Buchheit (Dean, College of Engineering)
Purpose
Project 2 is charged with identifying and recommending strategies to improve employee recruitment and retention for both faculty and staff. The scope of the charge included changing, moving or expanding diversity and inclusivity funds and programs to create a more equitable, effective workforce. The team was asked to assess and catalogue hiring practices that promote diversity to ultimately guide hiring officials and department heads. It was also asked to identify ways to increase support for faculty and employees once they are hired.
Progress
To ensure collaboration with and input from the community, Project 2 will propose recommendations informed in part by a broad sampling of opinions across campus through surveys and roundtable discussions. There is considerable experience and expertise on subjects related to diversity, equity and inclusion among university faculty and staff, and this effort is leveraging that opportunity.
There is also an expectation for the DEI Initiative to bring about change promptly. For that reason, a deliberate effort was made to communicate with campus stakeholders in Fall 2020. The leads of Project 2 have conducted online surveys of 80 individuals nominated to work on this initiative. Among other questions, survey participants were asked to articulate their ideas and suggestions regarding employee recruitment and retention. Their recommendations were rated and ranked in a separate survey of nearly 180 faculty and staff affinity groups across campus. The participants' recommendations were also prioritized and commented on in two separate facilitated on-line discussion sessions attended by 35 to 45 individuals respectively.