Carnegie Mellon University

December 13, 2019

Dear Colleagues,

Earlier this year I announced two new policies developed by the Faculty Committee on Diversity, Inclusion and Development (FCDID): Guidelines for INcreasing DIverse CandidATes for OppoRtunities (INDICATOR) and Guidelines for More Equitable Service Loads. These guidelines together are referred to as “To Serve and to Shine.” These policies are in place to ensure that women and underrepresented faculty are not overly burdened with required participation in committees and at the same time provide increased opportunities for recognition for prestigious opportunities.

I am writing today to share additional information and expectations for implementation and accountability. Vice Provost for Faculty Jeanne VanBriesen can offer additional support. In order for the guidelines to be effective, it is essential they be communicated and used intentionally and regularly at the university, college/school and department levels.

First, as part of the five-year Strategic Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plans, I expect the deans and the rest of the academic leadership team to incorporate the guidelines into their processes for selecting faculty for committees, prizes and other recognitions. I hold myself accountable to these guidelines, too. For example, we have already begun to use them in the Office of the Provost to collect nominations for endowed professorships and other honors, to select committee members, and informally to identify speakers.

As part of implementation of these guidelines, the deans and department heads are asked to regularly communicate developments to their faculty, including the mechanisms for reporting aberrations in adherence. I commit to sending semi-annual reminders to all faculty and the Vice Provost for Faculty will include annual reminders to department heads and deans and include a discussion of the guidelines in new faculty orientation.

Second, the deans and department heads will be asked to evaluate their progress implementing the guidelines. As part of the deans’ annual review in the spring, I will include the following measures in my request to the deans for what to include in their reports:

  • Implementation of these guidelines in the unit’s Strategic Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan;
  • Evidence that the guidelines are being implemented and communicated;
  • Impact of guidelines in diversifying honorifics and making service loads more equitable; and
  • The number and types of reports received, as applicable.

Also, I will review instances of non-compliance on a case-by case basis with the deans and the vice provost for faculty, and we will respond with advice for improvement.

Third, in order to support this implementation, the deans are asked to have their five-year Strategic Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan implement the guidelines. In addition, Vice Provost VanBriesen is working with Dean of University Libraries Keith Webster to evaluate inclusion of service information in the Elements tool. University-level committee data will be available in the tool during 2020. I encourage colleges, schools and departments to upload information then.

Members of the CMU community who are concerned about activities, events and opportunities for which there is insufficient diversity should report their concerns via the INDICATOR hotline at 412-268-2272 or by emailing the Vice Provost for Faculty at VPFaculty@andrew.cmu.edu. This contact information should also be communicated regularly by every dean and department head.

Thank you for your commitment to implement these guidelines to support and maintain a fair and inclusive faculty community that enhance our academic mission.

Regards,
Jim

James H. Garrett Jr.
Provost
Thomas Lord Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering