As part of a three year IChange process, Year 2 saw Lehigh ADVANCE engage faculty stakeholders together with the Action Planning Team in order to prioritize issues, explore root causes, and identify categories of action for the draft action plan. During the next AY, Lehigh will engage in more rounds of sense making in order to refine the specific recommended tactics and resources of the implementation strategy needed for the Action Plan to create change. The IChange process helps institutions focus on different aspects of the broad categories Institution, Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement. Here at Lehigh, the following 'categories of action' were identified. Some are already in progress (noted with a *), and many need new or additional steps to activate to a deeper level. Some of the items below can be accomplished in a short term, while others will take longer. And currently, there are several which are closely intertwined, and thus they may require learning and unlearning how faculy processes are constructed in order to change behaviors and practices to be more inclusive, diverse, equitable, and welcoming. Faculty colleagues can watch their inboxes for opportunitites to be involved.
- Build a more diverse pool at each stage of the search, especilaly the beginning *
- Understand faculty turnover and how it relates to DEI Issues (reduce non-retirement attrituion of URG faculty)
- Make faculty workloads equitable and transparent
- Revamp Tenure & Promotion System to reflect stated values
- Increase institutional Valuation and Recognition of DE&I Efforts (leadership & scholarship)
- Equitable and Competitive Job Offiers *
- Make departments more welcoming *
- Establish Salary and compensation Equity Practicies *
- Make mentorship systems more robust *
- Provide increased and equitable opportunities for leadership develpment and paths towards leadership to diversify our skilled leaders
- Understand and improve faculty search yield of candidates from under represented groups
- Systematize new faculty onboarding *
