Temporary - Senior Advisor on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (id:83253)
Orono
President's Office - OPRES
Temp
N/A
Orono ME
Retired faculty/staff and current tenured/just cause faculty or continuing contract staff are encouraged to apply. Buyout and/or stipend and start date will be negotiated.
We seek an outstanding individual, preferably from the UMaine/UMM community to serve as the interim Senior Advisor, DEIB for the University of Maine. This is an interim 12-month, senior advisor position reporting directly to the President. This person is a senior advisor and member of the President’s Cabinet.
The interim Senior Advisor, DEIB will be responsible for mapping university efforts and laying the groundwork for the eventual hiring of a chief diversity officer (CDO) or a comparable position. A primary task will be to conduct an inventory of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) efforts throughout the university community and, with the advice of the President’s DEI Council, to frame efforts to be undertaken by the permanent CDO (or equivalent) as allowed by the law. The provisional time frame for this position will be hired early in the fall semester 2023. The interim Senior Advisor, DEIB would develop a proposed timeline, scope of work, and prioritization of issues for a future permanent hire. The interim Senior Advisor, DEIB will assist with the onboarding of the permanent CDO or equivalent.
The role of the interim Senior Advisor, DEIB will intersect with all areas of the institution, including cabinet-level organizations, student life partners, enrollment management, human resources, faculty recruitment and retention, professional development, marketing and communication, academic leadership, institutional advancement, other DEI experts, and other stakeholders. To be effective, the interim Senior Advisor, DEIB must be flexible, innovative, and committed to adding value outside of her/his/their core areas of expertise and experience. The work of the interim Senior Advisor, DEIB will guide ongoing and future efforts to conceptualize, define, assess, nurture, and cultivate a campus ethos of inclusivity and belonging, and foster diversity and equity as an institutional and educational resource through:
- Cataloging ongoing efforts to address broad and specific issues of faculty, staff, and student diversity. She/he/they will work through the VPAA/Provost and VPRDGS to connect with department chairs, institute/center directors, deans, etc., to monitor current ongoing DEIB efforts at UMaine as allowed by law
- Staffing the President’s DEI Council and distributing the President's DEI Council annual report
- Cataloging efforts to support and harmonize values, goals, policies, and procedures in accordance with current Advance Diversity and Opportunity in Higher Education: Justice and Education Departments Release Resources to Advance Diversity and Opportunity in Higher Education | U.S. Department of Education or future Department of Education guidelines, including:
- The education of search committees on the value of diversity and how inherent bias handicaps some candidates
- The promotion of recruitment and retention programs that make the University accessible and inclusive for engaging, building and retaining talent among students, faculty, and staff.
- The coordination of budgets that support efforts to enhance a sense of belonging and community
- The comprehensive efforts to ensure that the University of Maine and UMM have a culture that is comfortable and attractive to all individuals including those with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, international students, first-generation college students, and new Mainers, among faculty, students, and staff.
- Identifying plans to improve diversity and inclusion that are not currently being addressed, as allowed by law
- Serving as the University of Maine liaison with the University of Maine System Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity, Office of Equal Opportunity, and to the University of Maine System DEI steering committee
- Cataloging research initiatives to address underrepresented and minoritized populations' issues and challenges as allowed by law
- Compiling information and assessing resources needed to support a culture of well-being and belonging, and staying abreast of national studies, events, and ongoing initiatives
Core Competencies
Technical mastery of diversity issues: The interim Senior Advisor, DEIB will have awareness and experience of many aspects of diversity and inclusion issues, including promoting values and goals that support all faculty recruitment and retention strategies, the impact of diversity on learning, evaluation of the campus climate, research findings to inform university practice and the policy and legal dynamics of free speech, affirmative action, and diversity in higher education.
Understanding of the complex operating environment: The interim Senior Advisor, DEIB must be knowledgeable about the leadership structure and political landscape of our campuses and respond to politically charged and/or sensitive situations in consultation with Marketing and Communications and the president. The interim Senior Advisor, DEIB must be able to gather information through multiple communication modes and advise the president about various campus constituencies including students, faculty, staff, and administration.
Understanding of the culture of higher education: Colleges and universities differ from other types of organizations, and to achieve success, the interim Senior Advisor, DEIB must be prepared to understand the culture of shared governance, tenure and promotion, multiple and competing goals, decentralized campus operational environments, co-curricular activities, D1 athletics, an R1 research institution, collective bargaining, unified accreditation, operating within the University of Maine System and the unique needs of students, faculty, staff, and executives with respect to diversity.
Coordination Roles
As a member of the President’s Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the President's Cabinet, the interim Senior Advisor, DEIB will be a highly visible and essential campus leader who is both collaborating and coordinating a wide variety of campus-based educational, data- gathering, and change efforts focused on the central construct of inclusion.
The University of Maine is a community of more than 11,900 undergraduate and graduate students, and 2,500 employees located on the Orono campus, the regional campus in Machias, and throughout the state. UMaine is a land, sea and space grant university, and maintains a leadership role as the University of Maine System's flagship institution. UMaine is the state's public research university and a Carnegie R1 top-tier research institution, dedicated to providing excellent teaching, research and service for Maine, the nation and the world. More information about UMaine is at umaine.edu .
The University of Maine offers a wide range of benefits for employees including, but not limited to, tuition benefits (employee and dependent), comprehensive insurance coverage including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and short and long term disability as well as retirement plan options. As a former NSF ADVANCE institution, the University of Maine is committed to diversity in our workforce and to dual-career couples.
UMaine is located in beautiful Central Maine. Many employees report that a primary reason for choosing to come to UMaine is quality of life. Numerous cultural activities, excellent public schools, safe neighborhoods, high quality medical care, little traffic, and a reasonable cost of living make the greater Bangor area a wonderful place to live. Learn more about what the Bangor region has to offer here .
Required:
- Graduate level degree (MA, MS, MD, JD, PhD, or other degree).
- Have a demonstrated track record of addressing diversity/inclusion goals in the context of their work.
Preferred:
- The ideal candidate will be a present or former University of Maine or University of Maine Machias employee.
- 8-10 years of experience in higher education.
Materials must be submitted via "Apply For Position" below. You will need to create a profile and application; upload:
1.) a cover letter which describes your experience, interests, and suitability for the position
2.) a resume/curriculum vitae
3.) contact information for three professional references
You will also need to submit the affirmative action survey, the self-identification of disability form, and the self-identification of veteran status forms. Incomplete application materials cannot be considered. Materials received after the initial review date will be reviewed at the discretion of the University.
Search Timeline is as follows:
Review of applications to begin: November 27, 2023
Interviews to begin no earlier than: December 4, 2023
Tentative start date: December 18, 2023
The successful applicant is subject to appropriate background screening.
In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).
Other
Cover Letter, References, Resume/CV