Experiences of New Faculty of Color at UMD

Key Takeaways

1. Positive experiences amid professional stressors: Faculty members generally reported that they were having positive experiences, noting that UMD offers a diverse and engaged student population, robust academic programs that provide strong foundations for both research and teaching, and a collegial environment where the majority of leadership and faculty offer support and collaboration.
2. Transition and onboarding support: Faculty members reported that transition and onboarding processes at the unit and campus level do not address the myriad of resources and supports that new faculty need and questions that they have. For example, many faculty reported challenges with navigating the transition to the DMV area with familial responsibilities (e.g., locating childcare) and learning campus and departmental/unit policies and procedures (including formal and informal ways of operating). 
3. Positive mentorship: Most faculty members indicated that they had positive experiences with mentorship. Five of those interviewed indicated that their unit had facilitated connections with multiple mentors (e.g., via a mentoring committee), an approach that faculty members felt was effective.
4. Inconsistent department/unit climate: Some faculty members experienced a disconnect between the way that commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion were discussed during the recruitment process and the ways in which these values were enacted within their unit. For example, some faculty members reported experiences with racial microaggressions, isolation, and conflict with their unit heads; others reported that there were few opportunities to engage with their colleagues, which undermined their sense of inclusion. However, some faculty members reported that their units had been positive and welcoming. 
5. Administrative Challenges: Faculty members reported spending significant time navigating administrative barriers, including tracking research funds or navigating regulations for labs. Such barriers often detracted from the time that faculty could spend on executing their research or engaging with students.
6. Silo-ed Work Environment: Faculty members expressed difficulty in building connections outside their unit. They reported that this increased their sense of isolation at UMD and also potentially undermined their ability to develop interdisciplinary and collaborative research connections.
7. Campus Supports and Resources: Many faculty members mentioned the TLTC and ADVANCE as campus level resources that had supported their professional growth. 

Recommendations for Policy and Practice

1. Enhance Transition and Onboarding: Support units in developing proactive transition and onboarding resources and strategies for new faculty members; Engage faculty in orientation activities over time and through multiple methods; Develop centralized, online repository for faculty resources organized by career stage and appointment type.
2. Streamline Administrative Processes: Encourage units to develop standard operating procedures for routine administrative procedures in which faculty engage (e.g., hiring graduate assistants, procuring equipment); Consider working with the Division of Research and/or Division of Administration to streamline and make more transparent processes that faculty regularly use. 
   Improve Department/Unit Climate: Enhance training and resources for departments/units, and specifically leaders, to promote a climate of inclusion; Enhance incentives and create greater accountability for addressing departmental/unit climate issues.
3. Strengthen Faculty Networking: Create additional campus faculty networks organized around research areas/domains or by affinity.
4. Facilitate well-being and self-advocacy: Increase the visibility of programs and resources (e.g., Faculty Ombuds; Faculty and Staff Assistance Program) that promote faculty well-being by equipping them with skills such as negotiation, conflict resolution, and self-advocacy.