SLCC has the most diverse student body of any higher education institution in Utah. As such, the makeup of our faculty and staff should reflect that of our student population. Students are more likely to thrive when they recognize themselves in their instructors and the college staff who provide additional support. What’s more, all of our students benefit from the opportunity to learn from instructors with different backgrounds and cultures.
One strategy that aligns with our goal to achieve equity in student participation and completion is the new SLCC Search Advocate program. It is an important way in which we are working to encourage diversity in our hiring practices. Search Advocates are SLCC staff and faculty who have elected to undergo additional training so they can serve hiring committees throughout the college in improving equity, diversity and inclusivity. Specifically, Search Advocates assist hiring managers by developing job descriptions and interview questions that feature inclusive language, advising on recruitment and screening, and helping with the integration process for new hires.
The Search Advocate Program ultimately aims to create an inclusive culture and a college community that mirrors the larger community in which we live. The program also allows us to leverage the talents of all employees so we can better understand and anticipate our students’ needs.
Since its debut last year, the Search Advocate program has made an impact in the following ways:
More diverse search committees: Hiring committees that work with a Search Advocate are generally more diverse in terms of cross-college participation and diversity of thought.
Expanded recruitment strategies: Search Advocates, along with the Human Resources team, help hiring managers expand a job applicant pool by targeting diverse employment networks during recruitment. This approach helps enrich and broaden our community by bringing in applicants who may have never considered working at SLCC.
Better integration of new hires: Search Advocates assist the hiring manager in suggesting a plan to integrate the new hire into the college so that they feel supported and welcomed. The plan is designed to cover areas such as how a new hire is announced, how a new hire learns the “unwritten rules” in a department, mentoring programs and more.
In 2019, SLCC placed 40 Search Advocates on priority-level searches for faculty and staff. The college also hired a new Coordinator for Recruitment Support, who is tasked with improving the candidate experience and increasing the diversity of the candidate pool for key positions.
More information on our search advocacy efforts and other diversity initiatives can be found here.