PROPOSAL TO RECRUIT, RETAIN, and SUPPORT FACULTY OF AFRICAN DESCENT

1. PROPOSAL TO RECRUIT, RETAIN, and SUPPORT FACULTY OF AFRICAN DESCENT Submitted by UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I FACULTY OF AFRICAN DESCENT (FAD) Prepared by Darnell Cole, Ph.D. Material taken from REPORT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I FACULTY OF AFRICAN DESCENT

2. Background • One of the core values in the University of Hawai‘i’s System Strategic Plan is the trilogy described as • Diversity, Fairness, and Equity. • This core value binds its faculty, staff, and students to realize the University’s vision and mission. • The University’s identification of equity is appropriate, yet at the same time striking, considering that the institutional culture, to date, has not promoted positive experiences that demonstrate these core values among faculty and students of African Descent.

3. Brief FAD History • The Faculty of African Descent came into existence in 2003 • FAD already has had a positive impact on the University of Hawai‘i administration, in the professional lives of its members, and on the diverse student population throughout the University of Hawai‘i System. • Ex: First Annual Winter Institute for Black Studies (WIBS): January 18-19, 2005 - Honolulu, Hawai‘i • Ex: Forging Links: Fall, 2004 - Honolulu, Hawai‘i • The Faculty of African Descent consists of 14 faculty members in tenure-track, lecturer, and administrative positions across the University of Hawai‘i System. • Faculty members are represented in the following fields: • Law, Political Science, Counselor Education, Interdisciplinary Studies • Educational Leadership, Speech Pathology and Audiology, • Philosophy, Ethnic Studies, Medicine, Teacher Education, • and Tropical Plants & Soil Sciences on the Mānoa campus. • Other faculty members are represented on the University of Hawai‘i Hilo and Kapi‘olani campuses.

4. FACULTY OF AFRICAN DESCENT (FAD)5 Key Initiatives • The faculty of African Descent has five key initiatives, however, the first two should be considered primary to this stocktaking process: • Targeted Opportunity Program • Retention of faculty of African Descent • Winter Institute for Black Studies • International Center for Africana Studies • African Descent Membership on the Foundation Board

5. Targeted Opportunity Program • Issue to be addressed: • Increased recruitment of faculty of African Descent that reflects the diversity of the state of Hawai‘i (2.8%) and nation (13%). • Less than 1% of faculty members employed in tenure-track positions in the University of Hawai‘i system are of African Descent.

6. Targeted Opportunity Program • Method: • Provide funds, administered through the Chancellor’s Office, to permit the appointment of a minimum of 5 such individuals, under these specific conditions identified in the • REPORT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I FACULTY OF AFRICAN DESCENT • Example: • 2nd Condition: Such appointments may include complete salary packages for up to three years, upon which the College will assume responsibility for the line. Funds may also be requested for course releases, start-up funds, or other incentives • Rationale: • Targeted Opportunity Program will ensure that departments across campus, with less than acceptable records of minority recruitment, retention, and promotion, begin or continue to seek minority faculty as colleagues.

7. Retention of Faculty of African Descent • Issue to be addressed: • Currently, the University of Hawai‘i has a less than acceptable number of faculty of African Descent. In many departments and colleges, there are no faculty of African Descent. • Still in other departments and colleges, there have been instances where faculty of African Descent have been forced out of the University, overlooked for promotion, or effectively demoted from chaired positions. • The purpose of this objective is not to assess blame; rather the purpose is to ensure that doors are opened and remain open for promotion opportunities for faculty of African Descent.

8. Retention of Faculty of African Descent • Method and Rationale: • Provide financial commitments that will support the retention, development, and scholarship of these faculty members. • Funds must be made available for the following: • Professional development opportunities to afford faculty of African Descent competitive equality. These opportunities may include training, leadership grants, and research support • Support for sabbatical research by University of Hawai‘i faculty of African Descent • Support for visiting non-University of Hawai‘i faculty of African-Descent • Support for the newly formed Faculty of African Descent Committee • Support for programs, colloquia, and forums deemed appropriate by the newly formed Faculty of African Descent Committee • Support for the Targeted Opportunity Program as well as the other programs discussed throughout this report

9. Budget

10. Measures of Effectiveness • Increased number of faculty of African Descent in the University of Hawai‘i System. • Survey of classes and presentations from the visiting faculty of African Descent. • Application and follow-up evaluation for professional development opportunities. • Completed and published project(s) from the Research Sabbatical. • Surveys of participants, community groups and organizations participating in and attending programs, colloquia, and forums.

11. Conclusion • Given the University’s vision and mission, the demographics of our region, and our own commitment to the furtherance of public education, it is clear that for peoples of African Descent, diversity in all of its manifestations must be a condition of the University’s claims of excellence.