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BUILD Program’s Impact at the Institutional Level: Faculty Equity Advocates (FEA)

BUILD is proud to support the conceptualization, development and partial funding for the initial implementation of the Faculty Equity Advocates program (FEA). The idea for this program was developed out of a Diversity Retreat that was held in the fall of 2018 with BUILD, the Provost, the President, and the President’s Inclusive Excellence Taskforce. The purpose of this FEA program is to have a community of faculty members who work collaboratively with Deans, Associate Deans, Department Chairs and faculty members in their respective colleges to attain the following goals of increasing the: (a) diversity of the faculty; (b) number of faculty members hired who understand diversity issues; (c) equity and inclusion as demonstrated in outreach and recruitment efforts related to faculty hiring, the academic curriculum, use of culturally responsive pedagogies, and student support; (d) retention of probationary faculty members, particularly those from under-represented groups; and (e) the overall awareness of the impact of social and cultural factors such as identity, power structures, implicit bias, and institutionalized systems of oppression.  

The eligibility for FEA program faculty include: (1) tenured faculty member at the rank of Associate Professor or Full Professor (or equivalent); (2) knowledge of, and experience with, working with diverse populations; (3) documented leadership within the аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ community; (4) ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment in handling sensitive issues and situations; and (5) demonstrated success in working on teams and supporting colleagues on collaborative initiatives. Applicants for the initial cohort of FEAs were asked to provide: (1) A statement of interest that presented concrete examples of how the faculty member met the eligibility criteria/qualifications, (2) a current CV, and (3) a recommendation letter from the faculty member’s department chair (or equivalent).  Selections were made by the Office of Faculty Affairs in consultation with the college Dean (or equivalent).

One FEA was selected for each of the BUILD participating colleges: Engineering (COE), Health and Human Services (CHHS), Liberal Arts (CLA), and Natural Sciences and Mathematics (CNSM). An additional FEA was selected each for CLA and CHHS as they are larger colleges. These FEAs were supported in part by BUILD II (stipends in Year 6; release time and summer salary in Year 7).  In addition to the six FEAs selected from the four participating BUILD colleges, three FEAs were selected for the remaining colleges of the Arts (COTA), Business Administration (CBA), and Education (CED). Together, the nine Faculty Equity Advocates represent аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ’s institutional commitment for increasing diversity of our faculty.

In Year 6, the 19-20 Academic year, the Faculty Equity Advocates (FEAs) developed plans for their units that address specifically how they would increase diversity within their respective colleges through improved practices of tenure-track faculty hiring. New tenure-track faculty positions for recruitment for each college was contingent upon the Provost’s approval of its FEA’s plan. The FEAs implemented their plans in Year 7, which marks the end of direct BUILD support for this initiative as the Faculty Equity Advocates is fully institutionalized.