The University’s senior leaders published an Antiracism Statement in June 2020. The statement expresses, among other things, a commitment to “develop actions, policies, and practices that oppose racism, and work to dismantle those which empower racism to persist at St. John’s.” Consistent with this statement, the University’s Inclusivity Statement, and our mission’s call for us to respect the rights and dignity of every person, this year we announce a change in the faculty planning process guidelines: faculty lines will only be funded for those departments that have at least one Equity Advocate on its Personnel and Budget Committee.

One of the primary roles of an Equity Advocate is to encourage the use of fair, consistent, and equitable processes during the search process. Faculty members seeking to serve as Equity Advocates will be required to participate in the University’s Equity Advocate preparation program. The preparation program will consist of an Equity Advocate development module and periodic development sessions for Equity Advocates University-wide to come together and share their challenges, successes, concerns, and advice. 

We believe the incorporation of faculty Equity Advocates into the hiring and promotion functions is a promising practice that complements our existing antiracism, equity, and inclusion initiatives. We hope that you will join us in encouraging departments to take advantage of this opportunity to operate in more inclusive and antiracist ways.

Picking up on concepts from Module 1: Social Justice Frameworks for Personnel and Budget Committees, this session will explore how implicit biases shape the way we see the world. We will ask participants to consider how thoughtful use of search criteria can drive a more equitable process. 

Thank you for registering and we look forward to working with you!