Data for: A path forward: creating an academic culture of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion

Institutions of higher education (IHE) throughout the United States have a
long history of acting out various levels of commitment to diversity
advancement, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Despite decades of DEI
“efforts,” the academy is fraught with legacies of racism that uphold
white supremacy and prevent marginalized populations from full
participation. Furthermore, politicians have not only weaponized education
but passed legislation to actively ban DEI programs and censor general
education curricula (https://tinyurl.com/antiDEI). Ironically, systems of
oppression are particularly apparent in the fields of Ecology, Evolution,
and Conservation Biology (EECB)–which recognize biological diversity as
essential for ecological integrity and resilience. Yet, amongst EECB
faculty, people who do not identify as cis-heterosexual, non-disabled,
affluent white males are poorly represented. Furthermore, IHE lack metrics
to quantify DEI as a priority. Here we show that only 30.3% of US-faculty
positions advertised in EECB from Jan 2019-May 2020 required a diversity
statement; diversity statement requirements did not correspond with
state-level diversity metrics. Though many announcements “encourage women
and minorities to apply,” empirical evidence demonstrates that hiring
committees at most institutions did not prioritize an applicant’s DEI
advancement potential. We suggest a model for change and call on
administrators and faculty to implement SMART (i.e., Specific, Measurable,
Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) strategies for DEI advancement across
IHE throughout the United States. We anticipate our quantification of
diversity statement requirements relative to other application materials
will motivate institutional change in both policy and practice when
evaluating a candidate’s potential “fit”. IHE must embrace a leadership
role to not only shift the academic culture to one that upholds DEI, but
to educate and include people who represent the full diversity of our
society. In the current context of political censure of education
including book banning and backlash aimed at Critical Race Theory, which
further reinforce systemic white supremacy, academic integrity and justice
are more critical than ever.