Searching for Equity: Strategies for Enhancing Racial/Ethnic Diversity in Applicant Pools for Public Health Faculty Searches.

Abstract

Low racial/ethnic diversity among public health academics undermines our research, teaching, and practice. One important step for addressing this problem is to increase the diversity of applicant pools for open faculty positions. In this commentary, we share our experience conducting a tenure-track faculty search at a large public university. Through consultation with leaders within and beyond our school, we identified strategies to maintain a diverse pool of applicants across the search process. These strategies were to (a) convene and train well-rounded teams, including equity advocates, (b) write and advertise job announcements to welcome diverse applicants, (c) set and monitor data-informed diversity goals, and (d) evaluate applicants equitably. For each strategy, we share available data and resources. Although much work remains, search committees can benefit from emerging best practices in hiring to recruit applicants who better reflect the vibrant diversity of the students and communities that public health seeks to serve.