Progress Report: Faculty Recruitment, Mentoring and Retention

Recommendation

Timeline

Status

Create a guidebook with specific pre-search, implementation, and post-search (including onboarding) guidelines and best practices for search committees.

AY 2023-24

In progress

AY 2022-23

In progress: In 2022-23, the VPFAC surveyed deans to assess current hiring practices, which showed that what is happening across academic units is uneven. Deans are encouraged to share with each other best practices that can be implemented across schools without significantly slowing down the faculty hiring progress.  

All members of search committees must undergo anti-bias education and learn best practices for search.

AY 2022-23

Search committees are expected to:

• Have knowledge of the diversity in the discipline and strive to have a pool of candidates that represents the discipline’s diversity.
• Have a composition that is diverse in outlook and expertise and works closely with HR and a UDO to ensure best practices at all stages of the process.
• Evaluate and report at different stages as to whether the hiring plan goals have been met (check points).

Stop and re-start searches that show no evidence of a concerted effort to meet the goals of the plan.

Establish and prioritize “cluster hires” across related disciplines over a period of time (e.g., 3 years) to develop a cohort and community of scholars. Hires should be made at the department level with university-wide support and direction.

3-5 years

Develop, expand, and/or improve current UB signature initiatives around underrepresented (UR) scholars with improved coordination and communication (e.g., VITAL, iSEED) across campus.

Use these programs to enhance recruitment and establish networks with universities with UR scholar populations (e.g., Historically Black Colleges and Universities).

Fall 2022

Establish a program that provides opportunities for leadership development and career strengthening options for established faculty.

3-5 years

Ongoing

Improve UB salary structure, relative to peer institutions, and accord greater importance to service as part of annual salary reviews. Continue to solve discrepancies of salary where UR faculty seems to be compensated lower than other faculty with similar performance/credentials.

Recognize “invisible work” and efforts to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion by faculty as part of scholarly activities that are considered for promotion and tenure.

3-5 years

Moved to Scholarship, Tenure and Recognition Subcommittee

Notably, under the updated Tenure and Promotion policies and guidelines, which were passed by the Faculty Senate in Fall 2024, faculty are able to include their contributions to EDI and deans and chairs are encouraged to recognize faculty’s EDI and service contributions.

Examine processes/procedures for recognizing faculty (e.g., SUNY and UB Excellence Awards and Distinguished Professors), to identify biases and establish consistent practices across decanal units.

Guidelines should include bias and cultural competence education of different committees.

3-5 years

Moved to Scholarship, Tenure and Recognition Subcommittee

Develop opportunities to highlight and celebrate UR faculty achievements more prominently, outside of current formats that celebrate faculty success in general.

3-5 years

In Progress: In 2023, UB established a new Civic Engagement Research Fund to support projects with grants up to $5,000. These grants can be used for sabbatical and research leaves.

Develop a proactive faculty retention strategy including with a preemptive retention program, having a standing committee (Faculty Affairs Office) focused on the retention of UR faculty with a well-coordinated effort from Chairs and Deans.

AY 2022-23