The University of Chicago is partnering with the leading research universities in the country to promote diversity and inclusion in higher education and address historical underrepresentation in the pathways to the academic profession.
The AVDF-funded Ivy+ Faculty Advancement Network (FAN) is a new consortium with representatives from peer universities that are exploring collaborative opportunities to address issues of faculty diversity across academic departments and disciplines. The faculty diversity initiative was recently featured on the University of Chicago website.
FAN’s aim is to work with senior leadership to develop approaches that address the current lack of faculty diversity and build support for creating more inclusive professional academic environments.
The network is made up of leaders in faculty affairs, advancement, development, diversity, and inclusion across twelve institutions. The FAN members to date include the University of Chicago, Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Stanford University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.
Participating members of FAN will convene at the university in the spring to share past learning experiences and discuss best practices on the topic of faculty diversity and inclusivity.
While the participating institutions have made progress toward increasing access and diversity for undergraduate students; racial, ethnic, and gender diversity remains a challenge in most disciplines for doctoral, postdoctoral, and faculty levels at the research institutions.
“We’re committed to supporting FAN members in our shared goals of achieving a more diverse and inclusive professoriate,” said Waldo E. Johnson Jr., vice provost and professor in the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice and a member of FAN’s executive committee. “We expect FAN’s collaborative investments will reimagine the structures, policies, and programs that shape university cultures and the academic workforce.”
Throughout this academic year, FAN members will participate in online workshops and use evidence-based resources on topics that will help them advance diversity priorities at their institutions. To read the full profile about the Faculty Advancement Network on the University of Chicago website, click here.
Back to all Stories