Training Attended
Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting 2022 Leading Critical Conversations
Training Date
Fall 11-10-2022
Training Location
Anaheim California
Document Type
Blog
Publication Date
Fall 11-10-2022
Abstract
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down institutions in March 2020, many academic programs faced budget cuts and hiring freezes (Friga, 2020). The impact of budget cuts most severely impacted HBCU’s and rural colleges (Kelchen et al., 2021). Yet, as the pandemic restrictions eased and some schools found ways to begin hiring again; however, things were different this time. Many schools conducted their searches entirely virtually (Banks et al., 2020). As many social work educators can attest, a switch from in-person to virtual methods presented unique challenges (Paceley et al., 2021). This 4-person panel included a successful job candidate and three members of search committees. The panel shared tips and tricks that helped the searches run smoothly in the virtual environment. Additionally, there was a focus on making the virtual environment as welcoming and attractive as possible. The panel presented perspectives from rural and urban teaching-focused and research-focused institutions ranging in Carnegie Classifications from “R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity” to “Master's College and University”. These perspectives encompassed both PWI and HBCU. Critical conversations around hiring equity and antiracist search processes are an important part of higher education leadership. As social workers, we must act to eliminate racist hiring trends in higher education and bring equity to the front of the table in hiring conversations (Gates et al., 2021). Participants in this panel confronted their own biases related to antiracist search practices and learned new strategies for faculty searches in the landscape of an ongoing pandemic (Fariña et al., 2021).
Recommended Citation
Bell, Amber D.; Gandy, Megan; Morrow, Deana; Estreet, Anthony; and Bagneris, Jessica, "Critical Conversations around Hiring Equity and Anti-Racist Search Processes" (2022). Title III Professional Development Reports. 50.
https://bluetigercommons.lincolnu.edu/training-report/50
