What to do as an Individual
- Begin with the assumption that the faculty member warrants what they’re being evaluated for.
- When negative thoughts and criticisms arise, examine what’s behind your “feelings” about the faculty you’re reviewing. Ask: What evidence do I have for that conclusion or opinion?
- Consider keeping a journal while you’re reviewing the materials to observe your thoughts and judgments and questions as they arise. Watch what you’re thinking and question why you’re thinking it.
- Be alert to treating a faculty member differently based on their affinities to or differences from your own appearance or areas of interest or alma mater.
- Be aware of how you are responding to the candidate’s work, especially if it’s non-traditional, involves practice, community engagement or public scholarship. The latter are more commonly practiced by minoritized faculty, women and people of color. Reviews should assess the quality of the work submitted, not the nature and value of the work itself.
- Expose yourself to myriad perspectives. Commit to learning more about communities different from your own, and spending time with people who are different from you.
- Considering what stereotypes or assumptions people might make about yourself based on how you present may also help identify some of your own stereotypes and biases.
- Get to know your biases. Take Implicit Association Tests and approach them with curiosity, not judgment: https://implicit.Harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest/html