The University of Iowa
had 212 more women and minorities working on campus
in 2004, a 1.4 percent increase over 2003. But diversity
director Charlotte Westerhaus cautions that this
number is not indicative of large-scale growth in
the hiring of faculty and staff.
“On our campus of more than 14,000 employees,
I believe that the hiring of 212 people reflects
very selective growth, compared to what’s needed
to support critical academic initiatives and programs,” says
Westerhaus, special assistant to the president and
director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity.
According to figures presented to the Board of
Regents, State of Iowa, at its December meeting,
the University in 2004 had 8,830 women and 1,132
minorities working in its faculty and staff of 14,199.
In 2003, 8,666 women and 1,084 minorities worked
in a faculty and staff of 14,014.
The figures collected in the report represent the
University as of Oct. 1, 2004.
The University saw a net loss of 13 women from its
tenure and tenure-track faculty, but registered an
increase of 15 in the number of minority faculty.
Minorities across the entire faculty and staff increased
by 48. Of those faculty and staff members, 31 are
Asian/Pacific Islander, 10 are African American,
and eight are Hispanic/Latino. The University saw
a net loss of one Native American faculty member.
“We’re pleased we had so much success
recruiting and retaining Asian and Pacific Islanders
to our faculty,” Westerhaus says, pointing
to the University’s growing international reputation
as an outstanding research, professional, and liberal
arts university as a factor in that success. “This
year, our opportunity is to significantly increase
the number of African American, Latino, and Native
American faculty members.”
The University also saw an increase in the number
of minorities working in the executive and management
staff and the professional and scientific staff;
12 more minorities work in executive and management
staff positions, a 3.8 percent increase; 194 more
minorities work in professional and scientific staff
positions, a 3.1 percent increase.
Overall, the University met three of its equal opportunity
goals and missed three others. It met its goals in
the following work areas: women in executive, administrative,
and managerial staff (35.5 percent, exceeding the
32 percent target); minorities in tenure or tenure-track
faculty positions (14.6 percent, exceeding the 14.5
percent target); and minorities in merit staff (7.1
percent, exceeding the 7 percent target).
The University missed its goals in the following
areas: women in tenure and tenure-track faculty positions
(27.4 percent, missing the 30 percent target); minorities
in executive, administrative, and managerial staff
(7 percent, missing the 8 percent target); and minorities
in professional and scientific staff (6.6 percent,
missing the 7.5 percent target).
Westerhaus is concerned, however, that maintaining
even current faculty diversity in the coming year
will be difficult because of continued budget restraints
and intense recruiting efforts from other colleges
and universities for The University of Iowa’s
faculty members.
“The perception in the profession is that
The University of Iowa is a great place to be from,
and other institutions know that,” Westerhaus
says. “We need to be more assertive so that
Iowa becomes known as a great place to stay.”
by Tom Snee
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