In fiscal year 1997 implementation of the SIUE Diversity Plan led to the hiring of the assistant provost for cultural and social diversity, who has oversight responsibility for issues related to diversity. The assistant provost manages and distributes the Minority Recruitment and Retention Fund. Goals for the program include the following.
• Increase the employment of minorities at SIUE, focusing on African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Pacific Islander Americans, Native Americans, and women.
• Provide opportunities for administrators, faculty, and staff to become knowledgeable about programs that focus on recruitment of minorities and to supplement funds for attending programs, conferences, and institutes dealing with diversity, minority recruitment and retention, search committee structures, and recruitment policies and plans.
• Provide graduate assistants for faculty who develop special programs and activities for recruiting minority graduate students.
• Provide funds to "grow our own" minority faculty and staff by encouraging them to continue their education and return to SIUE for employment.
• Help retain minority faculty by assisting them with research grants, summer employment, educational leaves, and travel to conferences and institutes.
In the past five years, the Minority Recruitment and Retention Fund sponsored faculty and staff employees to attend over 100 events in 5 countries, 27 states, and 54 cities.
Data from the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Fact Book 2005 Edition, produced by Institutional Research and Studies, is shown below. There has been an increase in Black faculty since 2002. As deans negotiate a contract with a minority candidate recommended by a search committee, the Minority Recruitment and Retention Fund provides additional resources to help guarantee employment.
Black Non-Hispanic Black Non-Hispanic
Faculty All Employees
Fall 2000 47 416
Fall 2001 45 436
Fall 2002 44 412
Fall 2003 46 365
Fall 2004 47 378
In October 2001 SIUE received the 2001 Excellence Award for Best Practice in Minority Faculty Recruitment from the Illinois Committee on Black Concerns in Higher Education.
