Explicitly recognize service contributions
An inclusive workplace culture is a healthy environment for all. To establish an inclusive workplace and transparent career structures, the ALBA Declaration on Equity & Inclusion advises to explicitly recognize service contributions. This article provides useful tips & resources on best practices about recognizing service contributions.
Issues
Female faculty, faculty of colour and other underrepresented groups volunteer their time as part of the recruiting, mentorship and support systems for marginalised students, playing a vital role in building institutional goodwill for their advancement and retention. However, knowing that this time spent could be put towards the narrow definitions of academic achievement currently deemed valuable can lead to lower production in key areas. White male colleagues can devote more of their time to research and publishing since their affinity group is already part of the established community.
Suggested actions
- Provide additional compensation for the professors who end up taking on this labor.
- Document formally all service contributions.
- Value these service contributions accordingly when reviewing career advancement and promotion opportunities.
Resources
- Invisible labor of marginalized faculty; Duke University, The Chronicle (US)
- Thirteen professors withdraw from Yale's Ethnicity, Race and Migration Program; Yale University, Yale Daily News (US)
- The DEI Pathway to Promotion, Inside Higher ED
