Update on the Faculty of Color Report
2/16/2019
Dear Colleague,
The following is an update regarding the Faculty of Color Report and what the FSU has done regarding these issues so far (see here for more information on this report).
The first 6 items were brought up at a meeting between the FSU and the Chancellor on June 13, 2019. Others were brought up at other meetings as discussed.
1. Exit interview with departing faculty and why they may leave
The administrators thought this was a great idea, including the Chancellor. They are going to pursue this through the Provost’s Office. We believe that they will work with the FSU on the survey. (Apparently it is common that those departing are not always candid when interviewed about reasons, so a survey would be best.)
2. Ombudsperson or ombuds office at the university
The Chancellor, Provost, and VC-HR were receptive to this idea, recognizing that most universities have a defined position like this. An FSU committee will be investigating various models, and after consulting more with faculty, we will discuss and propose which one makes the most sense for us.
3. Immigrant and international faculty resources and legal advice
The administrators thought also that this is a good idea to pursue. Much of this is online (see https://hr.umb.edu/employees/visas) and through the office of University Counsel in the President’s Office, which plays a role in examining what visa possibilities are appropriate for faculty. Sean Morgan, the new head of Global Programs is reorganizing this program to become a one stop shop for these services.
4. Racial diversity training and more education and outreach from ODEI
Racial diversity training: The Administration was agreeable to this idea that the administration should have racial awareness training (the entire text of recommendation #5 was read to them) and asked us the purpose of the training and what training programs that we recommend. An FSU committee was formed to examine the training to recommend, and is investigating MTA training programs and others.
Education and outreach from ODEI: ODEI under Georgianna Melendez, will be offering a host of programs and has developed a training called “Inclusive Excellence” that some departments have undertaken that examines implicit biases.
5. PROGRESS (Promotion, Gender, Race, Ethnicity and Service Sub-committee) report
The administration said that they read this report but needed to know what they are being asked to do about this. Let us know your suggestions (you can see the report here)
In separate discussions with Faculty Council, FSU President Marlene Kim suggested that Faculty Council reconvene this group to make these recommendations and to follow up with their report. Marlene reached out to some members of this PROGRESS committee early last spring to continue this work as well, and they were receptive to doing this in the fall of 2019 and said that they will reconvene this group to make these recommendations and to follow through.
6. The general sense that the administration doesn’t care about discrimination issues and faculty don’t get help when they raise these concerns.
We first brought this issue up in the fall of 2018, and Interim Chancellor Newman was very concerned. ODEI was reorganized in part because of this issue: education/outreach was kept in ODEI and made more of a central focus of their mission, and compliance/investigations has been relocated to HR as a new unit on Civil Rights and Title IX. We brought up this issue again in June 2019, and in September 2019, and confirmed that these new arrangements are moving forward.
7. Data analysis and data collection
In response to the several different requests for data on racial inequities, Tim and Marlene have met with several people to find out what data are available and what needs to be requested. These data include that gathered for the PROGRESS committee but not used, and that gathered by the Office of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning. These data are being analyzed now.
In addition, the gender and race equity study, mandated by the FSU’s contracts in our 2012-14 contract (and again in our 2014-17 and 2017-20 contracts) has been completed and is available here. The university has agreed to conduct a gender and race salary equity study as well.
Respectfully Submitted,
Marlene Kim, FSU President
Tim Sieber, FSU Executive Committee member
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