Diversifying the Professoriate in Canadian Academe - A Case Study of Search Processes and Outcomes in a Faculty of Science

Oct 15, 2026

This paper presents findings from a case study examining whether and how an institutional faculty hiring policy codifying EDI best practices can be deployed by search committees to improve equity and diversify hiring outcomes. Twenty-three searches over two years in a Canadian science faculty were studied using mixed-methods surveys. Results indicate that codified EDI practices are necessary but not sufficient: they were viewed as effective for fairer processes, yet effects on diverse outcomes varied, revealing opportunities to refine competencies and guidance.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Diversifying the Professoriate in Canadian Academe: A Case Study of Search Processes and Outcomes in a Faculty of Science Arig al Shaibah University of British Columbia Abstract This paper discusses the findings of a case study that sought to answer the question of whether and how an institutional faculty hiring policy that has codified a set ofEDI best practices can be effectively deployed by search committees to foster more equitable hiring processes and diverse hiring outcomes. The research involved 23 searches implemented over a two-year period within the Faculty of Science of a Canadian research-intensive university. Using a mixed-methods survey design, the study sought to answer the research question by (1) analyzing the self-reported perceptions ofthe search committee members, including identifying any differences across gender and racial identity of committee members, and (2) analyzing the self-reported experiences of the longlisted candidates, including new hires. The study results suggest that codifying EDI best practices may be a ‘necessary but insufficient’ condition to advancing inclusive excellence in faculty hiring. While the practices on balances were perceived tobe effective in improving equitable processes, their impacts on improving diverse outcomes were mixed. The study revealed several opportunities to clarify and enhance competencies to deploy key practices, and several insights, which have implications for fostering more equitable faculty hiring and diversifying the professoriate with respect to gender and racial representation. Keywords: diversity and equity, faculty hiring, inclusive excellence, minoritized faculty, recruitment policy Introduction Evidence amassed over the last two decades demonstrates that the presence of a diversity of faculty members is a precondition to stimulating disciplinary and interdisciplinary curiosity and creativity and, therefore, to advancing teaching and research innovation and excellence (Freeman & Huang, 2013; Hong & Page, 2004; Milem, 2003; Mwenifumbo & Renner, 2017; Selmer et al., 2013; Smith, 2015; Stewart & Valian, 2018). This argument forms the premise of the inclusive excellence paradigm, which affirms the integral relationship between diversity and quality and promotes expanded ways of measuring merit to account for the essential role that the diversity of peoples and perspectives plays in harnessing academic creativity, innovation, and excellence (Clayton-Pedersen et al., 2017). Through the 1990s and 2000s, several studies explored the benefits of compositional diversity in higher education. Mwenifumbo and Renner (2017) explored the interplay between faculty compositional diversity (a component of inclusive excellence) and institutional financial health (a component of operational excellence). The study analyzed institutional data on gender diversity, age profile, and salary projections of full-time faculty from nine Canadian universities to make a case for diversifying the faculty. The authors argued that compositional diversity was connected to academic innovation and, therefore, institutional adaptability and responsiveness to the social and economic realities of the time. Nearly two decades ago, Milem (2003) found that having an increased presence of women and racialized1 faculty in higher education benefits the research, teaching, and service missions of the university by affording “more student-centred approaches to teaching and learning”,“more diverse curricular offerings,” “more research focused on issues of race/ethnicity and gender,” and “more women and faculty of colour involved in community and volunteer service”(p. 158). Using mathematical modeling, Hong and Page (2004) demonstrated that a diversity of problem solvers is more effective than like-minded problem solvers. Within the last decade, a study conducted in Denmark analyzed the relationship between academic staff diversity and their equity, diversity, and inclusion (ED

FAQs

What core question does the paper investigate about faculty hiring policies?

It examines whether and how a codified EDI best-practices hiring policy can be effectively deployed by search committees to create more equitable processes and diverse hiring outcomes.

How was the study conducted and what data were analyzed?

The study analyzed 23 searches conducted over two years in a Canadian research-intensive university’s Faculty of Science, using a mixed-methods survey approach. It assessed committee members’ perceptions and longlisted candidates’ reported experiences, including new hires.

What do the results suggest about EDI best practices and hiring outcomes?

Codifying EDI best practices appears necessary but not sufficient. While the practices on balance were seen as improving equitable processes, their influence on improving diverse outcomes was mixed.

Oct 15, 2026

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