Provost Office: Memorandum
To: All Faculty and Staff
From: Stephen W. Director, Provost
Subject: Provost's Task Force on Diversity
Date: 28 July 2006
I am pleased to announce the formation of the Provost's Task Force on Faculty Diversity. This Task Force will examine issues surrounding diversity of Drexel's faculty and make recommendations to enhance diversity and the excellence of our educational and research programs.
Although the absolute number of women and underrepresented minority faculty members at Drexel and other US universities has increased, women and faculty from underrepresented minority groups hold fewer senior faculty positions, serve in fewer leadership roles, and obtain tenure at a lower rate than would be expected. This is especially true in the areas of engineering, science and medicine; areas in which Drexel is a national leader. While our efforts to diversify our faculty have had some success, we can, and need to, do more to ensure that we have a climate that supports diversity.
Last fall I appointed Dr. Janet Fleetwood, Professor & Vice Chair, Department of Family, Community & Preventive Medicine, as Provost's Fellow for Faculty Affairs to study gender and ethnic diversity in targeted areas at Drexel University. Her report can be found at http://www.drexel.edu/provost/diversity/documents.asp along with a Handbook on Faculty Recruitment and a Report on Dual Career Programs. The Provost's Task Force on Faculty Diversity is the outgrowth of this work.
The Task Force will be comprised of a Steering Committee and three
subcommittees: the Policy Subcommittee, chaired by Dean Marla Gold, School of Public Health; the Faculty Recruitment Subcommittee chaired by Dean Selcuk Guceri, College of Engineering; and the Faculty Development and Retention Subcommittee, chaired by Dean Donna Murasko, College of Arts & Sciences. The charge to each subcommittee and their membership are at http://www.drexel.edu/provost/diversity/.
Each subcommittee will produce a report by January 30 which the Steering Committee will then use to develop a strategy and timetable for improving Drexel's faculty diversity and academic climate. We invite you to visit the website and solicit your involvement in this important project. Please feel free to address your comments about this initiative to diversity@drexel.edu.