A new initiative meant to enhance the faculty recruitment process by attracting staff from underrepresented populations was introduced at the Faculty of Color reception Tuesday.
Chancellor Rebecca Blank announced the Target of Opportunity Program, which focuses on the hiring process and encourages department chairs and their deans to recruit faculty of different races, ethnicities
“TOP adds new tools to the toolbox. Departments will play a much more active role in identifying people they’d like to recruit,” Blank said.
The program is meant to foster a more diverse faculty and support the university’s statement on diversity, which encourages the inclusion of identity, culture, background, experience, status, ability and opinion.
“Diversifying our faculty is among my highest priorities,” said Sarah Mangelsdorf, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
TOP is an enhancement to the Faculty Diversity Initiative, which was created to provide salary support to encourage the hiring of a diverse faculty, supplement recruitment packages for new faculty and encourage retention of faculty by supporting their research and teaching in areas related to diversity and inclusion.
The new initiative will allow the university to invest resources into the hiring process of underrepresented staff, as well as over the course of their careers at UW-Madison.
