by James A. Bacon
John McLaren is a full professor in the Economics Department of the University of Virginia. He has written dozens of papers and journal articles in his specialty fields of globalization and international trade, and has given keynote speeches in conferences around the world.
He also serves as the departmental Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
McLaren came to the attention of the Jefferson Council when his name turned up in an email chain involving Keisha John, associate dean of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for the College of Arts & Sciences. John had written him and other departmental DEI directors to provide feedback on a survey the College was developing to measure the extent of “belonging” experienced by Arts & Sciences students, faculty and staff. (See “UVA Arts & Sciences to Conduct Climate Survey.”)
By itself, the request was not especially onerous. John asked McLaren to “take a few minutes” to complete a brief online survey rating the importance of key themes to be considered in the survey. She also urged him to “share broadly” with others in his department. Their responses would guide higher-up DEI officials as they developed the questionnaire for distribution in the fall. But acting as the econ department’s point man on the survey was only a small part of what his DEI responsibilities include.
Why does that interest the Jefferson Council? Because of the ongoing debate about the size and scope of the DEI administration at UVA.
According to the government-spending transparency organization Open the Books, UVA’s DEI bureaucracy encompasses 235 employees, including temps and student interns. The UVA administration contends the number is more like 55. The discrepancy boils down to a disagreement over whom should be included and who not.
UVA Chief Operating Officer J.J. Davis clarified UVA’s methodology at the last Board of Visitors meeting when she noted that the University includes in its count only employees for whom DEI work comprises 80% or more of their jobs. Conversely, Open the Books published a count of employees omitted from its first study — including departmental DEI directors — for whom DEI work comprises a significant though less-than-full-time portion of their jobs.
One can get a sense of what the departmental DEI job entails from a page on the faculty/staff section of the UVA website, which describes the roles, responsibilities and expectations of DEI directors (DDEIs).
DDEIs, says the document, promote “diverse, inclusive, and equitable departments.” Collectively, they constitute a “community of advocates and partners” that works with the associate dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at each of UVA’s 12 colleges and schools (13 including the campus at Wise). “They will assist in implementing best practices and serve as a point of contact in their department/program for issues relating to diversity, inclusion, and equity.”
Such issues include but are not limited to:
- Hiring and retention of faculty and postdoctoral scholars;
- Graduate student recruitment, retention, and curriculum;
- Undergraduate student recruitment, retention, and curriculum;
- Staff hiring, treatment, and retention; and
- Cultivating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable departmental climate.
The document sets out clear expectations for the level of work commitment. The DDEI must:
- Attend at least two DDEI meetings each semester.
- Meet individually with the associate dean for DEI once per semester.
- Provide updates during departmental faculty meetings when appropriate, and at least once a semester.
- Meet with prospective graduate students during recruitment visits, and all enrolled graduate students at least once a year.
- Participate as an external member in the chair/director search process.
- Participate in the faculty search and hiring process. At a minimum, take part in the search-launch meeting, review the position description prior to posting, assist with outreach to diverse candidates, provide feedback regarding the search process, and meet with candidates during interviews.
To get a sense of how much time McLaren is expected to commit to graduate student searches, there are 80 to 90 graduate students in residence in the economics department. Rules require individual meetings with each of those 80 to 90 grad students yearly. Moreover, the economics PhD program typically takes four years to complete, implying a turnover of 20 or more graduate students yearly and the need to conduct searches to replace them. As not every prospective grad student will choose UVA, the numbers imply that McLaren needs to be involved in significantly more than 20 graduate-student searches yearly.
Practices vary from department to department, but supplementary DEI-related activities can include training, discussion groups, special events, and reviews of departmental procedures. In the email chain, Associate Dean John alluded to departments undertaking “climate” surveys on their own initiative, and McLaren indicated in a message he forwarded to colleagues that the economics department was one of them.
In sum, the drain on faculty productivity from DEI-related responsibilities is substantial, and their fractional work obligations should be counted in determining the cost of DEI. The Jefferson Council is not interested in either maximizing or minimizing the headcount and salary cost for political advantage. We want an accurate count so the Board of Visitors can make an informed cost-benefit analysis of the UVA’s commitment to DEI.
James A. Bacon is contributing editor for the Jefferson Council. The views expressed here are his own.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.