Michigan State University
PA-7: Support for Future Faculty Diversity

Michigan State University requested that AASHE Staff correct a mistake in this reporting field for the reason specified below.

Previous Value: MSU offers a variety of programs and avenues that help increase the diversity of higher education faculty. Among them are: • The Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives, the ADAPP-ADVANCE (National Science Foundation grant number 0811205) program, and the Office of the Vice President of Academic Human Resources (AHR) have developed and implemented the “Advancing Faculty Success” toolkits, designed to advance MSU’s values of quality and inclusiveness in faculty hiring, promotion and retention. Guidance provided in the toolkits supplements, but does not replace, MSU policies and procedures for faculty and staff, including the MSU Academic Hiring Manual, Faculty Handbook, and Support Staff Employee Handbook. The Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives and AHR have disseminated “Advancing Faculty Success” toolkits university-wide since 2012 in a series of best practices booklets which are available on MSU’s ADAPP-ADVANCE website: http://www.adapp-advance.msu.edu/about. • The Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives provides regular training for faculty members to implement the ADAPP initiative by applying guiding principles to faculty search procedures. The ADAPP “Faculty Search Toolkit,” used in the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives faculty training sessions, delineates strategies for a successful faculty search at each stage of the faculty hiring process. It integrates required search procedures provided in the Academic Hiring Manual with recommended best practices for diversity and institutional equity. • The “Faculty Search Toolkit” advises departments to establish a diverse search committee and ensure that search committee members understand the purpose of the search, the general search process, and their respective roles. Academic Hiring Procedures require the Chairperson to conduct an affirmative action session with the search committee. The session focuses on the university’s commitment to affirmative action and equal opportunity, and to a fair, legal, and effective recruitment process which advances diversity and excellence in the academic workforce. • Academic Hiring Procedures require that an Affirmative Action Advocate be appointed to serve on each search committee. This member evaluates the search on an ongoing basis in terms of the goals and principles of affirmative action, equal opportunity, nondiscrimination and diversity and brings deficiencies to the attention of the search committee (or as necessary to the attention of the Chairperson or the Director of the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives) for corrective action. • Search committee guidance provides for the development of a thoughtful recruiting plan that proactively seeks to promote a diverse applicant pool. Search committees must complete the Academic Hiring Availability Data & Recruitment Activities Form and the Academic Position Request, which must be approved before recruiting begins, the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives may require additional efforts to promote a diverse applicant pool. • Academic Hiring Procedures require that search committees advertise positions and conduct other recruitment activities specified on the Academic Hiring Availability Data & Recruitment Activities Form. All academic vacancies must be posted locally. Tenure system and other continuing appointment system positions must be advertised nationally. • Academic Hiring Procedures require that the application deadline date for all postings be at least two weeks after the posting date, but preferably longer. • The Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives reviews recruitment plans for all academic searches as required in the Academic Hiring Procedures. Each search plan is reviewed to see that it includes mechanisms likely to reach protected class members. If efforts appear inadequate, the Office recommends additional or alternative strategies. • All academic vacancies must be posted locally. Tenure system and other continuing appointment system positions must be advertised nationally or within the geographical area customary for the appointment. • Search committees are instructed to seek out qualified minority and women applicants through professional organizations and personal contacts. • Academic job announcements are routinely sent to colleges and universities with predominantly minority and women populations.

Explanation: Content previously submitted did not meet the criteria.