In the context of an engineering faculty search, diversity and outreach activities are activities that relate to making engineering (and more generally the STEM fields) accessible to groups historically under- represented in engineering, as well as to the general public. The statement of “Contributions to Diversity” is meant for the candidate to describe his or her:
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Awareness of the barriers that exist for groups historically under-represented in engineering;
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Past efforts in diversity and outreach activities;
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Future plans for diversity and outreach activities;
Of these, the candidate’s past efforts are given vastly greater weight than merely showing awareness of barriers or stating future plans. The candidate’s effort, initiative, and creativity will all be considered.
Examples of such activities are listed below:
Items 1-7 below exemplify what very junior candidates (not yet holding a PhD) might engage in.
Less junior candidates (people already holding a faculty position) would be expected to engage in some of these activities, but also would be expected to go beyond these, as exemplified by items 8-12 below.
Note: There are many other types of activities which would qualify as contributions to diversity; this is far from being a comprehensive list.
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