Evaluating Diversity Statements

The purpose of this step is to establish clear and consistent criteria for evaluating diversity statements. 

As discussed in Step 3 (Advertising the Position to Attract a Diverse Applicant Pool) of the Step-By-Step Guide to Inclusive Faculty Hiring, diversity statements provide an opportunity for applicants to express their commitment to the principles of inclusive excellence and show that they have put that commitment into action. Diversity statements can also give applicants a venue to demonstrate how lived experiences that are traditionally overlooked in a CV will promote their success if they are selected for the proposed position. 

A study conducted at the University of California, Berkeley in 2018 found that when job searches required diversity statements, a higher percentage of initial applicants were members of underrepresented groups. The study did not, however, find a significant correlation between the practice of soliciting diversity statements and the success of applicants who were members of underrepresented groups beyond the initial application phase. The study's authors concluded: "We suspect there may be considerable variation in how search committees implemented this practice [evaluating diversity statements], and we speculate that these differences may have obscured the potential value of some forms of implementation" (Stacy, Goulden, Frasch, and Broughton, 2018). In other words, to simply request a diversity statement is not, in and of itself, a comprehensive solution to disparities in representation. The diversity statement is only useful when hiring authorities implement it in an informed and consistent manner when evaluating candidates.

As mentioned in Step 3, there is no single best approach to writing a diversity statement. And this fact makes standardizing evaluation all that much more difficult. Applicants should feel welcome to disclose personal information, but those who do not wish to do so, should not be penalized. Likewise, those who do share sensitive information should not have that information held against them. It is the responsibility of the hiring committee to clearly convey expectations regarding diversity statements to applicants in the application-instructions section of the position announcement. It is also the committee's obligation to foster and honor an environment of trust and respect.

To ensure that diversity statements are utilized appropriately and effectively, members of the hiring committee should discuss the myriad qualities of successful diversity statements as well as how to weigh diversity statements in relation to other application materials prior to requesting them in the position announcement. By doing so, the hiring committee will be able to make certain that application prompts adequately communicate committee values and expectations to prospective applicants. 

See also Guidance When Evaluating Diversity Statements, in CU Boulder's Faculty Search Process Manual.

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