BRYN MAWR COLLEGE

Committee on Appointments

Attention in Searches to Minority Recruitment and Multicultural Issues
for Chairs of Faculty Search Committees

The College has had considerable success in achieving a balance between women and men on the faculty and in bringing international faculty to our community. An area of continuing concern, however, is the low proportion of minority faculty at Bryn Mawr. We would like to attract to our faculty ranks more African American, Asian American, Latino American, and Native American faculty, and particularly women from these groups. This memorandum outlines some procedures that should enable us to increase the number of minority candidates included in our searches and to increase the number of minority candidates hired.

To recruit candidates successfully, we need to find out where potential applicants are and get to know them. Whether or not we have open positions, we should always cultivate relationships with promising minority scholars and teachers. Early in a search, search committees should consult with the Faculty Diversity Liaison Officer for suggestions on how best to recruit faculty from under-represented groups. The Committee on Appointments member of the search committee has special responsibility to provide support and advice in minority searching, as does the Provost.

At the end of the search, we will want to review with you your committee's success in recruiting and attracting minority faculty. Your experience will add to our knowledge.

  1. THE POSITION AND THE NATIONAL POOL
    When forwarding an appointment request to the Provost, the chair should present information on the percentages of women and minorities in the national potential applicant pool. A form for this purpose is provided by the Office of the Provost. Data should be provided for all levels in the proposed field, including tenure track and tenured faculty, new graduates, and Ph.D. candidates. Such information is generally collected and made available by the various disciplinary professional organizations. If the report reveals very few potential minority applicants in the proposed field, the department should consider whether a field more likely to yield minority applicants may also meet the department's needs.

  2. ADVERTISEMENTS AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS ABOUT POSITIONS
    Departments should consider ways in which positions might be described to attract minority applicants. Advertisements and other written communications about the position should include the following statement of institutional commitment:
    Bryn Mawr College is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer.

  3. MINORITY PARTICIPATION IN SEARCHES
    The department should make every effort to include minority faculty and students in appropriate stages of the search and interview process. While it is not feasible to have minority faculty members serve on all search committee, given the relatively small numbers of minority faculty at the College, it is important that minority faculty and students have the opportunity for contact with candidates during the campus visit. The chair of the search committee should seek minority student and faculty reactions after a candidate's visit. If the search committee needs assistance in recruiting students to participate, the Faculty Diversity Liaison Officer can help.

  4. GENERAL RECRUITMENT PLAN
    Effective minority recruitment requires that considerable time and effort be spent cultivating people and organizations likely to yield minority candidates. It is useful to list all minority faculty in the field known to committee members; to contact as many minority colleagues at other institutions as possible; to obtain names and addresses from special professional associations and caucuses of minority scholars; to be in touch with institutions that have a special commitment to members of American minority groups.

    Search committee members should make as much personal contact as feasible with likely sources. Impersonal approaches, such as posting ads or mailing job announcements, should not be the only avenues for recruitment of minority candidates. Committees should pursue all leads, and not limit themselves to faculty currently seeking a position. Persons who choose not to be applicants may assist us in other ways, for example, by telling us of other potential applicants and advising us about whether our recruitment efforts seem to be on track. The Faculty Diversity Liaison Officer can make helpful suggestions about recruitment strategies.

  5. EEOC INFORMATION
    As the search proceeds, chairs are expected to fill out appropriate sections of the College's EEOC form. Directions on the form indicate points at which consultation occurs between the search committee chair and the Provost. For an electronic copy of the form, click     here.

  6. ATTENTION TO MULTICULTURAL ISSUES
    In addition to the College's interest in increasing the number of minority faculty, we are also committed to recruiting faculty interested in issues of multiculturalism in the academic community and the curriculum. Conversations with candidates should therefore include exploration of such issues, including, as appropriate, how multicultural concerns enter into candidates' teaching and research activities. It is also helpful to inquire about candidates' experience teaching women, minority and international students, and their readiness to address diversity issues in the Bryn Mawr community. The search committee is expected to include the results of its assessment on such matters in its recommendation for appointment.
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Maintained by the Office of the Provost.
Posted Summer 2001
Updated Summer 2006