Difficult Dialogues: Best Practices for Diversity in Faculty Recruitment

An Inaugural Conference sponsored by the Academic Diversity Collaborative*

Friday, June 7, 2013, 8:30am – 5:30pm

Whispering Pines Conference Center

W. Alton Jones Campus, University of Rhode Island

27 Louttit Lane, West Greenwich, RI 02817

AGENDA

8:00-8:30am: Conference Registration (Whispering Pines Lodge –Lobby Area)

8:30-9:30am: Full breakfast buffet and Conference Welcome and Introductions (Whispering Pines Lodge – Main Dining Room)

9:30-11:00am: the Bok Players** perform, “The Right Fit” (Whispering Pines Lodge – Deck Area)

11:00-11:15am: Break (Laurel Lodge)

11:15-12:30pm: Session One: “Making the Unconscious Conscious: Minimizing Bias in the Faculty Search Process” presented by Robbin Chapman, Associate Provost and Academic Director of Diversity & Inclusion, Wellesley College (Laurel Lodge)

12:30-1:30pm: Lunch (Whispering Pines Lodge –Main Dining Room)

1:45-2:45pm: Session Two (breakout session)***(Laurel Lodge)

2:45-3:00pm: Break (Laurel Lodge)

3:00-4:00pm: Session Three (break out session)***(Laurel Lodge)

4:00-4:30pm: Closing Session: Wrap Up and Discussion (Laurel Lodge)

4:30-5:30pm: Reception (Whispering Pines Lodge – Deck Area)

*Academic Diversity Collaborative

Liza Cariaga-Lo, Brown University

Robbin Chapman, Wellesley College

Amy Wolfson, College of the Holy Cross

Mable Millner, College of the Holy Cross

Sylvia Spears, Emerson College

Jennifer Ivers, New England HERC and Harvard University

Naomi Thompson, University of Rhode Island

**The Bok Center Players were launched in the spring of 2007 at Harvard's Bok Center for Teaching and Learning.They now reside in the Boston Consortium.The Players perform live, interactive theater with the intent of sparking discussion of complex pedagogical and academic life topics.Their ultimate purpose is to help make the academy equally open to all participants, and to improve the quality of teaching, learning, and laboratory experience.Over the last six years, the Players have developed and performed interactive theatre for a wide variety of audiences, including provosts, deans, faculty, staff, post-docs, grad students, and undergrads, at Harvard and other local universities, Boston'smedical community, and beyond.

***Session Two and Three Topics

  • Articulating Priorities for the Position
  • Outreach and Recruitment Efforts
  • Developing Faculty Search Committees
  • Offsetting Unconscious Bias at Various Stages of the Search
  • Best Practices for the Campus Visit
  • Getting to the Short List and Selecting a Finalist

For a map of the Whispering Pines Conference Center Grounds, please go to the following link:

For questions, please contact Greta Kenney, Diversity Leadership Team Coordinator, College of the Holy Cross, at or 508 793-2356.