Recommendations for how colleges should make lasting improvements in faculty diversity (opinion) insidehighered.com/views/2020/12/…
I get a lot of questions about increasing diversity among faculty. Most recently an inquiry stating that we should be shifting focus to faculty.
That's great & all, but where do you think new faculty come from? They come from more diverse student ranks.
We can't shift focus; we must EXPAND focus to look at the entire lifespan of an academic #Veterinarian.
That means: Supporting K-12 student interest, creating pathways that keep URVM students in the pipeline. Successfully admitting & matriculating URVM #vetstudents.
Recruiting a critical mass of URVM students into interships/residencies, & skimming off a critical mass for faculty recruitment, supporting those young faculty, protecting them from the #diversitytax, & mentoring them through the T&P process.
As I say often--these are SYSTEMIC issues that require SYSTEMIC oriented problem-solving. Current URVM student numbers are on the rise, but there just aren't enough to move major numbers in #vetmeded faculty.
More than a decade ago, I told #AAVMC member institutions that we would effectively need every CVM to produce ONE new junior faculty candidate annually to even think about make a dent in the numbers. Back then, that was less than 30 potentially new URVM faculty annually.
Current data suggests that still not happening & the number of CVMs has grown.
The thing about DEI work in education---you have to approach it like we're walking backward, eyes closed, patting our heads and rubbing our bellies. It's complicated.
We have to work on elements of the lifespan all the time, all at the same time. Each step has its own hurdles & barriers.
It's DOABLE, but requires a deep commitment to the work and resources to get it done. Is it hard?
Yeah, it's hard, so what?
But it is doable.
There has to be a will & commitment that isn't just sustained because Black & brown folks are murdered in extrajudicial killings on video.
Interest & commitment must transcend "the hot moment."
Folks been waiting for 400+ years for action & while we appreciate the recent awakening--what we're looking for is long term commitment to justice in recruitment & retention over the lifespan. /fin
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