Tufts University
PA-7: Support for Future Faculty Diversity

Tufts has the following programs to help retain a diverse STEM student body and to encourage students from underrepresented groups to pursue graduate education, both of which are necessary to become a faculty member in the future. Tufts University is a member of the National GEM Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science. GEM connects highly qualified students from underrepresented groups to STEM graduate programs with much-needed financial support that is often the deciding factor in pursuing graduate education. More than 90% of GEM Fellows complete their degree and go on to careers in industry and higher education, including professorships at Member Universities. http://www.gemfellowship.org/universities/gem-membership/ Tufts University's Center for STEM Diversity works in partnership with the School of Engineering and the School of Arts and Sciences to foster a diverse and inclusive science and engineering learning environment. The center helps coordinate all of the efforts in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields and serves as an umbrella organization for the various diversity programs and clubs on campus. The Center for STEM Diversity has created a number of programs to help retain a diverse STEM student body including Bridge to Engineering Success at Tufts (BEST), STEM Ambassadors, and Promoting Retention in Science in Engineering (PRISE). The center also works with established programs that have been successfully keeping underrepresented students involved in the sciences and engineering such as Leadership Alliance and science and engineering professional societies. The Center for STEM Diversity hosts a series of workshops and seminars throughout the year to cultivate success around research and internships in our diverse community. The center also offers support programs for graduate programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and the center joins with faculty and staff throughout the university to develop and facilitate academic and career-oriented programs that cater to the unique needs of Tufts science and engineering graduate students.

Tufts belongs to the New England Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (NE-HERC). This consortium of universities provides a website for posting faculty and staff positions and information about resources; convenes semi-annual meetings for member institutions that provide information and opportunities for networking; and emphasizes recruiting a diverse workforce. CELT, mentioned in PA-4, runs a junior faculty mentoring program that helps junior faculty develop a network of mentors to help them find success as researchers, scholars, teachers, and family members. This is particularly, but not exclusively, targeted to faculty from under-represented groups. In addition to these university-wide programs, each school takes measures to ensure that faculty searches yield diverse candidate pools and hires. In addition, the CDO is convening a subgroup of the Diversity & Inclusion Working Group (DIWG) that will focus on recruitment, retention, and success strategies for all campus constituencies, including faculty, staff, and students.