Critical Needs Hiring Program
As a global leader in higher education, promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity are integral to the University of Colorado Boulder鈥檚 core mission and the campus鈥� strategic imperatives of shaping tomorrow鈥檚 leaders, being the top university for innovation, and positively impacting humanity.1
A diverse faculty is inherent to the overall excellence of our university.2 Faculty play the primary role in scholarly and creative work and teaching, doing outreach, and improving the academic reputation of the university. In accordance with this and in order to implement the recommendations embodied in the IDEA Plan鈥檚 Action Area #2: Learn and Lead Effective Efforts to Attract and Retain a More Diverse Faculty and Staff, the Provost鈥檚 Office, in collaboration with the Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement (ODECE) and the Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA), initiated the Faculty Diversity Action Plan (FDAP) in 2020.3 The three rounds of the program were successful, resulting in approximately 30 new faculty who meet critical needs (CN) in research and teaching across campus.
In 2023, the deans of the schools and colleges expressed the desire to revise the program so that it would provide the schools and colleges with more autonomy and flexibility in meeting the goals of the FDAP, and more opportunities for cluster hires.
This webpage is intended to provide guidance to the deans and units about how to implement the revised critical needs hiring program (CNHP).
1 See .
2 Piercy, et al., UU Health (2015) p. 3; E. Robertson, The epistemic value of diversity, Journal of Philosophy of Education 47 (2) (2013).
3 Members of search committees and all evaluators are expected to follow campus guidance on searches and hires, and work to eliminate barriers to equitable access to faculty positions.
The CNHP鈥檚 guiding principles and commitments are derived from Regent Laws and Policies governing the University of Colorado community, establishing that diversity, equity, and inclusion; nondiscrimination; and academic freedom are co-existent guiding principles and fundamental values.
Specifically, provides that:
consistent with the legal obligations and responsibilities of the University of Colorado community, the university will ensure policies, programs, procedures, and practices promote a continuing commitment to building a community of faculty, students, and staff in which diversity is a fundamental value. Such policies, programs, and procedures will also serve to ensure the rich interchange of ideas in the pursuit of truth and learning, including diversity听of political, geographic, cultural, intellectual, and philosophical perspectives.听
In , the University of Colorado Board of Regents 鈥渞eaffirmed its absolute commitment to the promotion of diversity in the university community and insists that no individual or group shall be marginalized or systemically excluded. 鈥� The definition of 鈥渄iversity鈥� from Regent Policy 10A recognizes a broad range of individual differences and does not create preferences for particular types of diversity, referring to 鈥渄iversity鈥� as 鈥渢he representation of our university community members who hold individual differences such as life experiences, and group/social differences such as race and ethnicity or class, protected identities as recognized in regent law, as well as cultural, political, geographical, religious, or other affiliations.鈥�
In addressing the conduct of the members of the university community, provides that, 鈥淭he University of Colorado does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, marital status, political affiliation, or political philosophy in admission and access to, and treatment and employment in, its educational programs and activities.鈥�
establishes associated rights of faculty academic freedom providing, 鈥淸t]he best method for advancing the state of knowledge is engaging with the broadest range of theories, methodologies, data, and conflicting opinions鈥� and requires that, 鈥淸t]he appointment, reappointment, promotion of all faculty, and award of tenure to tenure-track faculty, shall not be awarded or denied based on extrinsic considerations such as a faculty member鈥檚 expression of political, social, or religious views.鈥�
These concepts and others are incorporated within the Academic Affairs website devoted to academic freedom.
Over the next three years, funding for the CNHP will provide ~$1M in salary + benefits to be allocated across 32 centrally funded faculty positions (up to $100K in salary + benefits per position). During the same period, to foster ownership of and commitment to the CNHP across all academic units, the schools and colleges are required to fund 48 critical needs faculty positions, pooled across all units, to be completed by FY 2027.
Deans may determine how best to meet their CN hiring objectives (e.g., two or more deans may 鈥榯rade鈥� their assigned CN allocations to adjust timing or meet cluster hiring objectives), in alignment with the guiding principles above. To support the new faculty members, units agree to pay for all CN hires to participate in the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity Faculty Success Program if they would like to.
Annually, every unit shall tender a detailed recruitment, mentoring, and retention plan to the Office of Faculty Affairs for CN positions in conjunction with the Recruitment Authorization Form (RAF) submitted to the Office of the Provost (CN centrally funded positions should indicate this on the RAF). In addition, CN positions will be included in the annual recruitment and search status reports submitted to the Office of the Provost.
Based on a consideration of current faculty sizes, credit hour generation, and enrollments in each school and college, the proposed allocation of CN positions to each school and college is as follows:
| 听 | FY24 | FY25 | FY26 | Allocation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A&S | 3 | 3 | 8 | 14 |
| CEAS | 4 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| CMCI# | 听 | 2 | 听 | 2 |
| Leeds | 2 | 听 | 听 | 2 |
| Law | 听 | 听 | 1 | 1 |
| Music | 听 | 1 | 听 | 1 |
| Education | 听 | 1 | 听 | 1 |
| Libraries | 1 | 听 | 听 | 1 |
| RIO/Institutes | 1 | 1 | 听 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 11 | 11 | 10 | 32 |
# Allocation estimate assumes a CMCI + ENVD aggregation
How is the Critical Needs Hiring Program different from the FDAP?
The CNHP will continue the funding support of $1M salary + benefits for TTT and teaching-track hires through the campus budget model (this has not changed). Units receiving these lines will rotate, but unlike the FDAP, OFA will no longer facilitate a competitive selection process in which an advisory committee would make recommendations to the provost regarding which units should be allocated these lines. Because the deans will lead the process moving forward, the deans and the provost have agreed which schools/colleges will have the opportunity to hire during which years (see the table above). Searches will be conducted in accordance with the primary unit process and following all relevant policies, including the guiding principles above, and legal requirements.
How do we define 鈥淐ritical Needs鈥�?
Faculty members who meet 鈥淐ritical Needs鈥� are those who demonstrate perspectives, life experiences, and expertise that are not (or are less) represented within the unit doing the hiring. Without such a diversity of perspectives, experiences, and expertise, the university cannot properly meet its academic or social missions. Research affirms the important educational and epistemic benefits of diversity for scholarly and creative work, research, teaching, leadership, and service.
How do we make a Critical Needs hire in alignment with the above guiding principles?
As indicated in the definition of Critical Needs, the process will consider and seek out those applicants who bring perspectives, life experiences, and expertise that are not (or are less) represented within the unit doing the hiring. The process should focus on an applicant鈥檚听demonstrated actions, not beliefs or identities. More specifically, the hiring can consider an applicant鈥檚:
- Demonstrated knowledge, such as pedagogical approach, about diversity, equity, and inclusion;
- Track record, such as experience in the field, including service and committee work and research and scholarship, in advancing equity and inclusion;
- Plans for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in their future work; and
- Demonstrated ability to weave these concepts throughout their teaching and scholarly work.
Further, the units may engage in purposeful and directed outreach efforts to attract such applicants.
Who decides on the hiring process?
Schools and colleges, according to their normal processes.
What is the role of the central campus Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) in the process?
Unlike with the FDAP, OFA has no formal role. However, the vice provost for faculty affairs is available to answer questions about the CNHP on behalf of the provost.
Where can I find campus resources on conducting searches?
All members of search committees and all evaluators are expected to follow campus guidance on searches and hires and to take the Conducting Inclusive Faculty Search Online Course. All faculty hiring committee members shall adopt inclusive practices concerning the faculty hiring process as outlined in the online course, manual and guidebooks found on CU Boulder鈥檚 Department of Human Resources Diversity Search and Hiring website. Among other things, this website provides resources regarding recruitment, outreach, advertising, evaluating applicants, interviews, and hiring decisions. Hiring committees shall seek advice from the regarding the search and hiring process.
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