I managed a faculty discussion
meeting for a
certain
ladder tenure track
faculty position in a STEM
academic department on campus.
A search committee presented
their top five to the faculty.
The top two was one
white-identifying male and
one white-identifying female.
A white-identifying
senior faculty member
had spoken up and said
"Why aren't we discussing
the person of color,
the only person of color on the top
five?
Look around the room - we
have a diversity problem."
And at
that time, the only
faculty of color, who happens to be
an African-American faculty member,
felt empowered to speak
up and started
arguing the merits of that
person of color candidate
and saying that this
candidate will bring a diverse
view
and has the expertize to
have a position in this
department.
This allowed others to really
finally look at this,
this candidate with
with some weight.
There was an agreement
to go ahead and do another anonymous
paper vote.
That was conducted and
the vote came back unanimous
for that person of color,
faculty candidate for the faculty
position.
Had that senior
white identified faculty member
not call out that there was
actually a qualified
person of color candidate on
on the in the top five
that may not have allowed the
the black faculty member
to argue for
this person to be discussed.
This candidate
is now an assistant professor
in the department, is successful.
Has graduate
students, postdocs, and is doing
very well in his own
research program.
Had
that white-identifying
professor not spoken up
and said and been a
co-conspirator for
people of color, this
faculty member would not have added
a diversity to this very
not non diverse department on
campus.