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Inclusive Hiring Initiative

INCLUSION. DIVERSITY. EQUITY.

The Inclusive Hiring Initiative aims to attract and retain a more diverse WVU faculty by focusing on a key stage of the hiring process – recruitment. The Initiative aligns with WVU’s collective strategic transformation vision to “create avenues of access and success for students, staff and faculty and nurture a university where historically underserved people are supported and valued.”

By assisting WVU departments to better find and reach out to those who are diverse in regard to their social identities and their specializations, we aim to enhance the experiences of all WVU students, staff, and fellow faculty, through the benefits of diverse people and ideas.

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How it works

ADVANCE-trained WVU faculty and staff facilitators guide units and departments across the University through a 90-minute virtual work session to produce the three deliverables for participating units:

  1. Align unit hiring areas with specialties in which underutilized faculty currently work​.

  2. When the essential duties and responsibilities of the job require work with minoritized communities in the realms of research, teaching and/or service, add appropriate concrete evaluation criteria to assess candidates.

  3. Function as a mini search firm to actively seek out and recruit candidates to apply​. 

Interested units should engage in the work sessions well before they have an approved position, as it is intended to help units develop proactive strategies grounded in trusting, long-term relationships and a solid commitment to learning about scholarship that may extend beyond current departmental specialties.

Participants should keep in mind that the work-sessions are just one tool that departments can use to become more inclusive spaces. Engagement with a suite of activities to hire differently, build welcoming climates, re-envision promotion and tenure, support faculty professional development and retention, and build an equitable departmental climate is key to success.

Future sessions will focus on faculty retention, mentoring, promotion and tenure.

A PROVEN APPROACH

The Inclusive Hiring Initiative approach is grounded in proven ADVANCE practices to promote group-level collective efficacy through the following strategies:


Connect with departments about existent, positive displays of WVU diversity and/or inclusion

Envision the benefits of a more diverse and inclusive WVU family

Engage in collaborative procedures that work toward this vision via specific actions

ARRANGE A FACILITATED WORK SESSION FOR YOUR UNIT

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