Report 2007-102.2 Recommendation 11 Responses
Report 2007-102.2: California State University: It Is Inconsistent in Considering Diversity When Hiring Professors, Management Personnel, Presidents, and System Executives (Release Date: December 2007)
Recommendation #11 To: University, California State
To ensure that campuses employ hiring practices that are consistent with laws and regulations, the university should issue systemwide guidance on the hiring process for professors. In developing this guidance, the university should direct campuses to have search committees review affirmative action plans so they are aware of the availability and placement goals for women and minorities when planning the search process. The guidance should address the purpose of placement goals and the affirmative action plan in general so that search committees have the appropriate context and do not misuse the information.
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From January 2011
Two systemwide committees composed of campus and system managers were formed in spring 2008. The first was a task force to review the appropriate use of affirmative action plans and availability data as well as Proposition 209 issues for faculty searches, and develop a training program to disseminate this information to the campuses. This task force also addressed best practices in management searches. The second committee was composed of campus and system managers with responsibilities for faculty searches and developed system guidelines for faculty searches consistent with the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The guidelines, which were reviewed by campus faculty affairs managers, EEO officers, and the Office of General Counsel, were disseminated to the campuses in December 2008 and two webinars focused on affirmative action and non-discrimination in the CSU along with best practices in faculty and administrative recruitments were offered on December 4 and December 10, 2008. A recorded version of the webinar is available on the web at http://centralstationu.calstate.edu/howthingswork/. The title is Valuing Diversity in Recruitments. The final element in the CSUs plan to implement the recommendations was development of on-demand web-based training for all participants in the search process. Development of this training was completed in July 2010 and is now available to campuses. It is titled Faculty and Administrative Searches in the CSU and consists of two modules. The first module, Non-Discrimination and Affirmative Action Programs, looks at applicable state and federal laws, explains the concepts of non-discrimination and affirmative action, describes the development of campus affirmative action plans and the role of availability data, and discusses the roles and responsibilities of individuals involved in campus searches. The second module, Conducting Successful Recruitments for Faculty and Administrators, looks at each stage of the search process and provides strategies for effective recruiting as well as examples of practices that reflect good faith efforts to reach affirmative action goals and model the concepts of non-discrimination and equal employment opportunity. Both modules are available at: http://centralstationu.calstate.edu/howthingswork/. (2010-041, p. 36-37)
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented
All Recommendations in 2007-102.2
Agency responses received after June 2013 are posted verbatim.