Vetting and Interviewing
As you learned in search committee training, even faculty actively committed to equity are influenced by unintentional bias when reading applications. Remember that training as you begin the vetting process.* In all interactions with candidates for faculty positions, remember that you are not only assessing them; they are gaining important impressions of the university, its climate, and their prospective colleagues. Even if a finalist is not hired, they will gain an impression of UTRGV while on campus that they are sure to share with others; make sure that impression is positive, as doing so can help future recruitment efforts.
*Devine, P. et al. "The Regulation of Explicit and Implicit Race Bias: The Role of Motivations to Respond Without Prejudice." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 82(2002): 835-848.Ensuring Equity and Respecting Candidates' Information
- Review applications thoroughly and holistically; don't focus all attention on a single aspect of the application.*
- Develop a rubric or other evaluation criteria before screening applicants and apply them consistently; view sample rubrics.**
- All interviewees should be treated consistently, though every candidate does not need to have identical experiences. If, for example, a candidate is particularly interested in the campus Wellness and Recreational facilities, she may ask for and be given a tour of those facilities, but that does not mean that every candidate must also go on the same tour. The goal is equitable treatment.
- You may not ask about a candidate's gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, marital status, etc. You may give candidates information on family friendly policies, the ADVANCE grant and its initiatives to increase the representation of women faculty, etc.
- All candidates should therefore be offered the same information and the same opportunities. We recommend using the following language when planning campus itineraries: "As a part of UTRGV's commitment to faculty diversity and support, we would like to offer you the opportunity to meet with the Women's Faculty Network." Try to ensure that all candidates meet with a diverse group of faculty.
**Biernat, M. and Fuegen, K. "Shifting Standards and the Evaluation of Competence: Complexity in Gender-Based Judgment and Decision Making" Journal of Social Issues 57 (2001): 707-724.
UTRGV's NSF ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Grant provides funding to bring additional candidates to campus for interviews, helping to expand your pool of potential faculty recruits. Funding is also available for enhancing campus visits; for example, including extra days in town or a rental car. If your search would like to use ADVANCE funds for a candidate's visit, please complete the form below.