Support for Applicants to Faculty Positions in our College
Four mutually reinforcing core values form the basis of the campus鈥櫶�Inclusion, Diversity, and Excellence in Academics Plan: diversity, inclusion, equity, and excellence. These values build upon the听Colorado Creed, which charges all members of CU Boulder to interact with each other with integrity, respect differences, and contribute to the well-being of the entire community. You can read more about our latest activities in the CU Boulder 听and the College of Engineering & Applied Science's IDEA Plan Actions.
Guidance for faculty applicants to demonstrate an interest in and ability to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion
Thank you for expressing interest in a faculty position within the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Colorado Boulder! As one of only 36 U.S. public research institutions in the Association of American Universities (AAU), CU Boulder听is all about realizing the positive impacts of new knowledge. We believe that the best way to create new knowledge is to foster an academic community that equitably and inclusively supports a diverse, creative and entrepreneurial faculty. In support of that aspiration, our college seeks to hire faculty who have demonstrated experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities to weave concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion into their work.听 The purpose of this information is to prepare you to write effective application materials that include your perspectives on promoting听a diverse, equitable, and inclusive academic culture听and to support you in preparing for a campus visit/job interview if invited.
听
How We Define Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Excellence
Diversity
Diversity is fundamental to our success. It includes, but is not limited to, cultural differences, race and ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, (dis)ability, creed, religious or spiritual beliefs, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, class, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, political affiliation, and political philosophy (from听). A diverse body of faculty, students, and staff is necessary for CU Boulder to fulfill its goal of serving the people of Colorado, the nation听and the world by bringing together a vibrant array of cultures, experiences听and perspectives, and drawing upon the creative sparks produced by such a m茅lange.
Inclusion
To reap the rewards of diversity, CU Boulder must be a truly inclusive university. The rich array of faculty, students听and staff who constitute the diversity of the institution must be guaranteed opportunities for access, advancement听and academic success. Communities cannot contribute fully to the intellectual and social life of the campus when they are marginalized, threatened听or demoralized, or when they believe that their voices are not heard by leadership and the broader campus community.
Equity
A commitment to equity underlies all efforts to be inclusive. We must identify and eliminate the barriers that have prevented, historically and presently, marginalized and underserved people from fully accessing the opportunities and resources they need to succeed. We must increase our collective and individual awareness of how these barriers manifest in the experiences of our faculty, students听and staff. Beyond awareness, we must take concrete steps toward dismantling barriers in our policies, teaching, and hiring and promotion practices, and act affirmatively to support all of our communities. Everyone in the CU Boulder community deserves a fair chance to be highly successful鈥攖o see their demonstrated ability, with the right support, transformed into excellence.
Excellence
Commitment to becoming a diverse, inclusive, and equitable institution enhances CU Boulder鈥檚 excellence in research and teaching, its excellence as a workplace, and its excellence in service to the state of Colorado and beyond.
Assessment & Examples of DEI
Assessing your ability to advance equity and inclusion
We evaluate faculty applicants' Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion听statements in three main areas:
- Awareness of and ability to articulate understanding regarding diversity broadly conceived, and historical, social, and economic factors that influence the traditional underrepresentation of particular groups in academia. Life experience may be an important aspect of this understanding, but applicants' personal (embodied) identities are not used as a rating criterion.
- A track record, calibrated to career stage, of engagement and activity related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Demonstration requires specific details about these activities, including goals, strategies, and outcomes, as well as information about the role played. Strong evidence typically consists of multiple examples of action from undergraduate through the current career stage with the听activities described appearing throughout the application materials (i.e., Research, Teaching, and Contributions to DEI statements).
- Specific, concrete goals, plans, and priorities, calibrated to career stage, for engagement on diversity, equity, and inclusion as a potential faculty member at CU Boulder. Ideally, these plans involve an awareness of current programs and initiatives already taking place on campus. Learn more about our听听and听college听equity and inclusion efforts听and how to engage with them.
Example areas of evidence for demonstrating contributions to advancing equity and inclusion:
-
Knowledge of, experience with, and interest in dimensions of diversity that result from different identities, such as ethnic, socioeconomic, racial, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and cultural differences.
-
Familiarity with demographic data related to diversity in higher education.
-
Comfort discussing diversity-related issues.
-
Understanding of mentorship power dynamics and personal-professional boundaries between faculty and students.
-
Understanding of the challenges faced by traditionally marginalized individuals, and the need to identify and eliminate barriers to their full and equitable participation and advancement.
-
Strategies to create inclusive and welcoming teaching environments for all traditionally marginalized and underserved students.
-
Strategies to encourage both critical thinking and respectful dialogue in the classroom.
-
Using new pedagogies and classroom strategies to advance equity and inclusion.听
-
Inclusive and respectful research environments.
-
Mentoring and supporting the advancement and professional development of traditionally marginalized and underserved students and/or postdocs.
-
Research that partners with members of听underserved communities.
-
Outreach activities designed to remove barriers and to increase the participation of individuals from traditionally marginalized and underserved groups.
-
Participation in workshops and activities that help build multicultural competencies and create inclusive climates.
-
Supporting student organizations that serve traditionally marginalized and underserved听groups.
-
Participation with professional or scientific associations or meetings that aim to increase diversity or address the needs of underrepresented students, staff, or faculty.
-
Serving on university or college committees related to equity and inclusion or preventing sexual and gender harassment and violence.
Material modified from the听.
Campus Visit & Demographics
Campus Interview Preparation
How can you incorporate information about advancing diversity, equity听and inclusion into a campus visit?
- Some search committees ask candidates to make a formal presentation on diversity, equity听and inclusion as part of their campus visit, either as part of a job talk, teaching presentation听or as a standalone topic. If required, such a presentation should be prepared with the same level of consideration as a research presentation.
- Candidates may be asked to discuss their experiences related to equity and inclusion, and specific ideas for contributing at CU Boulder in these areas with the search committee听and with current graduate students or postdocs.
- All candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their ability to make a positive contribution to the climate at CU听Boulder and to specifically advance equity and inclusion if hired as a faculty member.
College Demographics
How to find demographics of students, faculty and staff in the college:
The听Office of Data Analytics (ODA)听houses the Institutional Research, Reporting & Analytics, and Faculty Information System groups, which specialize听in data collection, analysis and visualization. Navigate to their homepage to the most popular searches including detailed听student enrollment data,听faculty and staff (employee) information, and听a听list of pages and reports听provided by ODA that include gender and racial/ethnic diversity.