May 7, 2021
Dear Colleagues,
This is an historic moment in the life of our campus. We have long held diversity, equity, and inclusion as core values at IUPUI. They are central to our campus strategic plan, and for years we have taken action in different ways to make our campus a more welcoming and inclusive place for all.
Our outstanding faculty have played a pivotal role in this regard, engaging in activities that advance diversity, equity, and inclusion and strengthen our campus and community. With the depth, breadth, and importance of such activities in mind, we were determined to create another pathway to promotion and tenure that encourages and fully recognizes faculty work in this area.
In order to do this, we formed an Ad Hoc P&T Revision Working Group last fall with faculty governance leader participation and broad representation. The group drafted proposals, solicited feedback, held town halls, built consensus, and presented new guidelines to the IUPUI Faculty Council (IFC). The urgency with which they worked reflects the incredible importance of the changes they were proposing, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for their leadership and vision.
On Tuesday, May 4, 2021, the IFC voted 76 to 5 in favor of approving the proposed changes to campus-level P&T guidelines. These changes ensure that the mechanisms by which we recognize and reward faculty effort and achievements in areas that enhance equity and inclusion are aligned with and reinforce our campus values and strategic goals.
The revised guidelines reflect the creation of a new type of case: a Balanced-Integrative Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) case. To use this case, faculty must demonstrate excellence across a range of integrated scholarly activities aligned with diversity, equity, and inclusion. According to the guidelines, candidates must achieve "excellent overall performance of comparable benefit to the university" through work that is independent and that demonstrates local impact as well as scholarly impact through peer-reviewed dissemination. IUPUI stands as a leader among institutions throughout the country in establishing this unique, integrative pathway to promotion and tenure. For more information about the process and the guidelines, visit the Office of Academic Affairs website.
Schools across campus have already started to establish discipline-specific criteria and standards that align with these new campus guidelines. We anticipate that we will see the first significant numbers of Balanced-Integrative DEI cases for P&T reviews beginning in the 2022-23 academic year.
We are proud to be members of this faculty who have worked collectively to create this new pathway to promotion and tenure for those engaged in exemplary research, teaching, and/or service related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. In doing so, IUPUI might serve as an inspiration and model for institutions across the country.
Sincerely,