next »

[brownishbrother]

Hello,

I just found out about this great resource, and I have two questions.

1. I am considered a "minority" faculty member and was asked by the university to submit a personal data questionnaire, in which they ask about your race/ethnicity, veteran status, etc. AND if you are of Hispanic/Latino origin. I understand that you submit that on a voluntary basis if  you are applying for that job, as it was made clear to me.

However, the administrator now contends that as an employee, this is required, and yet, after requesting a written evidence (law? regulations? ) I received a vague memo. I suspect that asking current employees to provide this info. is not legal, is it? I find this request ridiculous.

I work for a state university.

2. My second question is about any formal or informal club/organization for faculty of color. There must be an association for faculty and staff (?) of color... I would appreciate any leads.

[octoprof]

Hello,

I just found out about this great resource, and I have two questions.

1. I am considered a "minority" faculty member and was asked by the university to submit a personal data questionnaire, in which they ask about your race/ethnicity, veteran status, etc. AND if you are of Hispanic/Latino origin. I understand that you submit that on a voluntary basis if  you are applying for that job, as it was made clear to me.

However, the administrator now contends that as an employee, this is required, and yet, after requesting a written evidence (law? regulations? ) I received a vague memo. I suspect that asking current employees to provide this info. is not legal, is it? I find this request ridiculous.

I work for a state university.

2. My second question is about any formal or informal club/organization for faculty of color. There must be an association for faculty and staff (?) of color... I would appreciate any leads.

re: 1. Call your EEOC office and ask them.

[oldadjunct]

Hello,

I just found out about this great resource, and I have two questions.

1. I am considered a "minority" faculty member and was asked by the university to submit a personal data questionnaire, in which they ask about your race/ethnicity, veteran status, etc. AND if you are of Hispanic/Latino origin. I understand that you submit that on a voluntary basis if  you are applying for that job, as it was made clear to me.

However, the administrator now contends that as an employee, this is required, and yet, after requesting a written evidence (law? regulations? ) I received a vague memo. I suspect that asking current employees to provide this info. is not legal, is it? I find this request ridiculous.

I work for a state university.

2. My second question is about any formal or informal club/organization for faculty of color. There must be an association for faculty and staff (?) of color... I would appreciate any leads.

Not sure of your point, or question.  If you are interested in associations for faculty of color, why would you be resistant to self-identifying, which would only aid your institution in identifying it's own faculty/staff imbalance and/or recruitment needs?  Clearly, African Americans and Hispanics are underrepresented on many, many campuses.

I put my money where my mouth is when some years ago I moved from a very late applicant to second in the running at an urban university.  It came out in discussion that the other top candidate was African American and would have been the first, the only, person of color in the department.  I was astonished and said something to the effect, "In your situation I would hire that person, too."  With that comment I pretty much put myself out of contention for I job I dearly wanted, and never regretted doing so.

My point here is that any organization that passively allows itself over time to accumulate a look alike complexion, physically or intellectually, will or should have its hand forced. At the time of my personal experience with this I was almost certainly the more impressive candidate on paper.  But I would not have hired myself at that time given the situation the department had placed itself in over time.

[bread_pirate_naan]

The head game you are playing is arresting.

1.  I don't want to identify on paper as a minority.
2.  Where can I find my peer community, as a minority?

Good luck with that.

[galactic_hedgehog]

2. My second question is about any formal or informal club/organization for faculty of color. There must be an association for faculty and staff (?) of color... I would appreciate any leads.

There are a number of professional societies that fit that bill, for example

National Association of Black Geologists and Geophysicists
National Society of Black Physicists
National Society of Hispanic Physicists

A quick Google search should tell you if there's one appropriate for you.

[sciencephd]

Consider joining the Cognitive Dissonance Club.  They're hard to find, because they don't self-identify, but try looking in the closet, right under the stairs.