Since 2011, OIED has appointed faculty diversity liaisons from academic departments across NC State to help extend the reach and effectiveness of its work in diversity and equity. During the 2013-14 academic year, four liaisons served on various diversity projects and committees. Here are some highlights of their work:
Susan Faircloth, associate professor of Leadership, Policy, Adult and Higher Education, conceived and chaired the American Indian UNC System Faculty Forum, which was held in November 2013. This event brought together over 70 faculty and administrators from campuses across North Carolina to network and meet new colleagues. This was the first time such an event has ever been held for Native American faculty at NC State. In Spring 2014, Susan worked with Brett Locklear, Director of Graduate Student Recruitment at NC State, to organize a system-wide gathering of individuals interested in the recruitment and retention of American Indian students. She hopes to leverage these two events into efforts to help create a more welcoming and nurturing environment for American Indian faculty, staff and students across the UNC system.
In recognition of the work of
RaJade Berry-James, associate professor of Public Administration, NC State received the 2013 NASPAA (Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration) Diversity Award, which “recognizes a program that exemplifies the highest standards of promoting and supporting diversity in research, teaching and/or service.” The award nomination was based on testimonials from current and former students of Dr. Berry-James’ course on Cultural Competence for the Public Sector and the 2013 Social Equity Leadership Conference, which she co-chaired with Dr. Tracey Ray of OIED. In addition to her teaching and service efforts, Dr. Berry-James published an article on Hispanic college graduation rates in the field of Public Administration and a paper titled “The Voices and Choices of Women in the Academy.” She received a seed grant to explore risk perceptions and cultural attitudes toward genetic engineering among underrepresented faith-based communities, and she has been elected to serve as chair of NC State's University Diversity Advisory Committee in 2014-15.
Monica Leach, associate professor of Social Work, developed the NC State National Diversity Advisory Board
in Spring 2013. The Board gathers a group of influential leaders with an affinity for NC State and a strong interest in helping to guide diversity programs and initiatives at NC State. The group provides external perspectives on OIED’s direction and serves as an important fundraising source for NC State’s diversity efforts. In addition, Dr. Leach co-chaired the University Diversity Advisory Committee’s subcommittee on Faculty Diversity.
Wendy Krause, with Special Assistant to the Provost Laura Severin, continued to facilitate discussions about unconscious bias with faculty search committees in the Chancellor’s Faculty Excellence Program
. As of January 2014, 33% of faculty hired under the Chancellor’s Faculty Excellence Program have been women, compared with 27% of all tenured and tenure track faculty; 7% of CFEP hires have been Hispanic and 7% African American; whereas Hispanic and African American faculty make up 3% and 4%, respectively, of all tenured and tenure track faculty at NC State. Dr. Krause was also awarded an NC State University Diversity Mini-Grant to produce video biographies of diverse STEM faculty to promote awareness and to aid recruitment efforts.
OIED thanks the 2013-14 faculty diversity liaisons for their work on these projects and more throughout the year.
For more information about OIED's Faculty Diversity Liaisons, see the Faculty Diversity website.
