New vice provost will work to combat bias in faculty hiring
UA administrators are preparing to search for a new administrator who would work to combat racial and gender bias within campus departments.
The newly created vice provost position will be established in response to recent findings that women and minorities are underrepresented in the faculty.
Provost George Davis said he hopes a nationwide search for the administrator will begin in the spring, and that the person would be in place by next fall.
"We're in the process of formulating a position description," Davis said.
Although administrators are still working on the specifics of the job, Davis said the new vice provost would work closely to improve faculty recruitment and retention on campus, especially for minorities.
The person would serve as a resource for deans and department heads conducting searches for new faculty.
"We feel it would be really valuable to have someone at a vice provost level to help in the leadership of the university," Davis said. "The bread and butter of a university is recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty."
Because funding for the new position has already been transferred from the Office of Campus Life to the Provost's Office, it will not cost the University of Arizona extra money or increase the total number of administrators.
The search will also take place despite $13.8 million in state-mandated budget cuts, which resulted in a university-wide hiring freeze that is expected to end Saturday.
Although no salary level has been set, the vice provost for faculty development and educational technology - who holds a position comparable to the newly created one - makes $119,025, according to the 2001-2002 operating budget.
"I think the university is strategically posed to take this opportunity," said Saundra Taylor, vice president for Campus Life.
The creation of the position comes in response to the recent release of the Millennium Project, - which said that women and minority faculty members are not adequately represented or given an equal salary.
The North Central Accreditation Association, which evaluates all aspects of the UA every 10 years, also recommended developing a plan for increasing minority representation among the faculty.
According to the Millennium Project, the average salary of woman professors on the UA campus is $77,435, compared to men who average $86,514 per year.
"The university needs to step up efforts to make faculty more representative of the university," Taylor said. "We have made a lot of gain in student diversity, but not in faculty."
Even in light of the Millennium Project's findings, the new vice provost should expect some challenges in trying to change the attitude of the campus, said Lynette CookFrancis, associate dean of students and director of Multicultural Programs.
"People are slow to change, especially around the issue of diversity," Cook Francis said.
Taylor said she believes people on campus want to promote diversity and that the new position can make a difference.
"The provost and I are committed to be associated with the vice provost to give it credibility," Taylor said.
Many universities across the country have already established similar positions, and UA administrators say they will be a valuable resource in defining the role of the new vice provost.
"We're looking at other universities with comparable positions and matching that with our vision to help the provost to change the culture of the university," Taylor said. "I'm optimistic we will attract exciting and talented people."
Jeff Sklar contributed to this story
