Memorandum

The recruitment, hiring and retention of a diverse workforce-including faculty, administrators and staff–is essential to the university’s pursuit of continued excellence and in keeping with its core mission and values. It is for these reasons that we devote a great deal of time and attention to the recruitment, hiring and retention of diverse individuals at NC State.  A key component in this continuum begins with the search process. In carrying out recruitment efforts, it is important to attract and recruit candidates with diverse backgrounds. For all of these reasons, search committees must operate with integrity, fairness, confidentiality, and in an unbiased manner.

While in recent years our student body has become more diverse, our efforts to increase diversity among the employee population have been more challenging. In particular, recruiting women and underrepresented minorities to fill EHRA faculty and non-faculty positions is an important objective. As you engage in the search process, I want you to know that I am personally committed to diversifying the faculty, staff, and administration of NC State.

The Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity (OIED) can play a key role in educating search/nominating committees about the importance of diversity as a part of the educational mission at NC State. This office has developed resources to assist you in diversifying the applicant pool when conducting searches, in making sure that all prospects emerge from the process holding NC State in higher regard than when they did before the contact was initiated, and in increasing the likelihood that the person to whom a job offer is extended will accept.

One of the most effective ways to promote diversity in hiring and to help departments to become educated about achieving their affirmative action goals is for campus hiring officials and search committee chairs to invite a representative from OIED to meet with each search committee at the time the committee is given its charge.  During this briefing, OIED can answer any questions the committee may have regarding the recruitment and hiring process and can discuss best practices in diversifying the applicant pool. Search committees have found this information most helpful when it is provided before they begin their work. To schedule a search/nominating committee orientation, please contact Dr. Robinette Kelley, Associate Vice Provost for Equal Opportunity and Equity at 515-8694 or rkelley@ncsu.edu.