A Workshop Series for Faculty Search Committees
Each fall semester, WISELI provides a workshop for faculty search committees. This workshop aims to help faculty conduct effective searches and to recruit and hire excellent and diverse faculty. The workshop provides information, advice, and strategies for the following elements of a search:
- Running effective and efficient search committees
- Recruiting a highly qualified pool of diverse candidates
- Understanding the potential influence of unconscious bias on evaluation of candidates
- Ensuring a fair and thorough review of candidates
- Developing and implementing an effective interview process
- Successfully hiring selected candidates
The workshop is typically offered as a two-part series. The first session covers Elements 1-4, and the second session covers Elements 5-6.
NEW!! We are now offering a “Refresher/Update” session for faculty and staff who have participated in at least two complete workshop series during previous years. This session will consist primarily of discussions that will focus on:
- Sharing experiences and strategies for recruiting diverse and excellent applicants
- Considering how evaluation of candidates has been conducted and effective strategies for reducing bias
- Providing information on new resources, new research, and new evidence-based strategies.
Workshop Materials | Resources for search committees
Not at UW-Madison?
We’ve held Searching for Excellence & Diversity® workshops at dozens of colleges and universities, and can arrange to come to yours.
Workshop Schedule - Fall 2020 - Virtual Sessions
Cross-College Workshops:
CALS, COE, L&S, and other schools and colleges
This is a two-part workshop series. Please select and register for a Session 1 date (first column) AND Session 2 date (second column) below. Please complete your registration at least one week before the date of the first session you will attend. If you cannot attend either session, please contact Eve Fine (efine@wisc.edu) for additional options.
Session 2 — 2020
Thu Oct 29, 2:00-4:00pm | REGISTER
For committees who have completed substantial evaluations of candidates on/before this date and plan to begin interviews in November
Thu Nov 19, 2:00-4:00pm | REGISTER
Fri Dec 11, 9:30am-11:30am | REGISTER
Course links will be provided to registered participants via email
Refresher/Update
Fri Oct 16, 9:30-11:00am | REGISTER
Prerequisite: Completion of at least two workshop series (Session 1 and Session 2) or combined sessions in previous years
Health Sciences Workshop — 2020
for
Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Veterinary Medicine
Wed Oct 21, 1:00-4:00pm | REGISTER
Please complete your registration by October 16
Workshop materials
Searching for Excellence and Diversity: A Guide for Search Committees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (PDF). Members of the UW–Madison community can contact WISELI to obtain hard copies of this guidebook.
Reviewing Applicants: Research on Bias and Assumptions (PDF). A brochure summarizing research on unintentional biases and assumptions and their potential influence on evaluation of faculty candidates. Members of the UW–Madison community can contact WISELI to obtain printed copies of this brochure.
Resources
WISELI Resources
- Recruiting resources for search committees
- BIBLIOGRAPHY of works related to the search process
- BIBLIOGRAPHY of references used in WISELI publications
- Benefits & Challenges of Diversity (PDF). A booklet summarizing research on the benefits and challenges of diversity.
UW-Madison Resources
Office of the Provost
- Dual-Career Couple Assistance Program
- Faculty Diversity Initiative
- Information for new and prospective faculty members
- Strategic Hiring Initiative for Dual-Career Couples
Office of Equity and Diversity (OED)
The Office of Equity and Diversity provides valuable resources for diversifying the workforce including:
- Consulting with search committees about the search process
- Advice and resources for accommodating the needs of faculty candidates with disabilities
The Office of Human Resources (OHR)
The Office of Human Resources produces the online Recruitment Toolkit which provides valuable information and resources for recruiting applicants. OHR employs a Recruitment Specialist, Adin Palau, who can provide you with advice and recommendations for recruiting diverse and excellent applicants. OHR also provide information about UW-Madison and its benefits to prospective faculty.
Relevant Publications
Searching for Excellence & Diversity® Workshop: Improving Faculty Diversity by Educating Faculty Search Committees
Sheridan, Jennifer; Eve Fine; Molly Carnes; Amy Wendt; and Jo Handelsman. 2015. “Searching for Excellence & Diversity® Workshop: Improving Faculty Diversity by Educating Faculty Search Committees.” In Personalauswahl in der Wissenschaft (C. Peus et al., Eds.) Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
Minimizing the Influence of Gender Bias on the Faculty Search Process
Fine, Eve; Jennifer Sheridan; Molly Carnes; Jo Handelsman; Christine Pribbenow; Julia Savoy; and Amy Wendt. 2014. “Minimizing the Influence of Gender Bias on the Faculty Search Process.” In Advances in Gender Research: Gender Transformations in the Academy (Vasilikie Demos, Catherine White Berheide, and Marcia Texler Segal, Eds.) Bingley, United Kingdom: Emerald Group Publishing.
Searching for Excellence & Diversity®: Workshops for Search Committees
Fine, Eve and Molly Carnes. “Searching for Excellence & Diversity®: Workshops for Search Committees. GWIMS Watch (Summer, 2013): 7-8.
Searching for Excellence & Diversity: Increasing the Hiring of Women Faculty at One Academic Medical Center
Sheridan, Jennifer; Eve Fine; Christine Maidl Pribbenow; Jo Handelsman; Molly Carnes. 2010. “Searching for Excellence & Diversity: Increasing the Hiring of Women Faculty at One Academic Medical Center.” Academic Medicine. 85(6):999-1007.
Interventions That Affect Gender Bias in Hiring: A Systematic Review
Isaac, Carol; Barbara Lee; and Molly Carnes. 2009. “Interventions That Affect Gender Bias in Hiring: A Systematic Review.” Academic Medicine. 84(10):1440-1446.
Searching for Excellence & Diversity: Does Training Faculty Search Committees Improve Hiring of Women?
Sheridan, Jennifer; Eve Fine; Jessica Winchell; Christine Maidl Pribbenow; Molly Carnes; and Jo Handelsman. 2007. “Searching for Excellence & Diversity: Does Training Faculty Search Committees Improve Hiring of Women?” American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) 2007 Conference Proceedings. June 2007.
Climate Change at the University of Wisconsin-Madison: What Changed, and Did ADVANCE Have an Impact?
Sheridan, Jennifer; Christine Maidl Pribbenow; Eve Fine; Jo Handelsman; and Molly Carnes. 2007. “Climate Change at the University of Wisconsin-Madison: What Changed, and Did ADVANCE Have an Impact?” Women in Engineering Programs & Advocates Network (WEPAN) 2007 Conference Proceedings. June 2007.
Media Coverage
With Recent Hires, Women in ECE Reach a New Milestone
The increase in women faculty is no accident; it’s the result of a commitment to diversity in the department. “When I was hired in 1998, I was one of two women in ECE,” says Philip …
Faculty Job Interviews Gone Bad
"Faculty Job Interviews Gone Bad." December 19, 2018. Kris Olds. Inside Higher Ed.
Gender Matters
“Gender Matters.” Jennifer Blue, Adrienne L. Traxler, and Ximena C. Cid. Physics Today 71/3/40. March 2018.
Stop Bias and Start Change in STEM
“Stop Bias and Start Change in STEM.” Beth Mitchneck. The Hill/Congress Blog. May 6, 2016.
Bias in Hiring
“Bias in Hiring.” Emily Auerbach. University of the Air, Wisconsin Public Radio. Madison, WI. September 20, 2015.
Reducing the Impact of Negative Stereotypes on the Careers of Minority and Women Scientists
“Reducing the Impact of Negative Stereotypes on the Careers of Minority and Women Scientists.” Daisy Grewal. Science Careers. October 26, 2010.