Resolution on DEI
Date
Background:
Rutgers University is committed to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the administration, teaching, research, and extension staff and faculty, as well as its student body.
Many departments and schools have taken the initiative to request specific and even standalone statements about DEI from individuals who are applying to open faculty positions. Such contributions can be part of teaching, advising, research, and/or service.
Some examples of activities and outcomes related to DEI include (a more comprehensive list is available from Indiana University1):
- Publications about DEI
- Grants that address DEI in the research, such as health disparities
- Providing extensive informal mentorship to students, staff, or early career scholars
- Adoption of inclusive teaching practices
- DEI professional development, community-based outreach
- Committee work to promote and/or provide services to the DEI community
- Community development reflecting DEI in collaboration and service delivery
Outside referees often seek information on DEI-related contributions of the candidate and include this information when writing opinions on whether a candidate should be promoted. Therefore, faculty members need clear guidance on how to include DEI-relevant information in their documentation that supports their personnel action.
Resolution:
Be it resolved that candidates should be encouraged, but not required, to include explicit language that highlights their contributions to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the documentation to support any of their personnel actions. Guidance to candidates should explicitly define 'DEI' in a broad way, while assuring them that their contributions are not expected to reflect a particular ideological perspective. The candidates should include this information within the existing evaluation criteria (teaching, research, and service) in a way that they feel is most appropriate.
Footnote 1 - See pages 4-6 of the following document: