New Ideas on Diversity

As a black scholar whose research includes diversity in organizations, Fuqua School of Business assistant professor Ashleigh Shelby Rosette says issues of diversity are frequently at the forefront of her mind when making major life decisions.

When considering whether to join the Duke faculty, Rosette asked many sources –current faculty, administrators, former Fuqua faculty and friends and mentors – about Duke's and Fuqua's commitment to attracting underrepresented minority and women.

"Increasing diversity amongst faculty at an elite institution like Duke is not always easy," Rosette said. "Although I believe there is still much work to be done in this area, the responses to my inquiries were satisfactory, and I have been quite happy with my decision."

Rosette arrived in 2005 as Duke's efforts to recruit and retain faculty women were gaining momentum. The Women's Initiative report in 2003 said women were not well enough represented on the regular rank faculty and noted that the percentage of Duke assistant professors had remained stagnant over the past decade.

As a direct result of the findings, Provost Peter Lange pledged at least $1-million a year to enhance the strategic hiring of women and minorities. A Faculty Diversity Standing Committee was established. And in 2005, rheumatology and immunology professor Nancy Allen was selected as the inaugural Special Assistant to the Provost for Faculty Diversity and Faculty Development.

Allen, who came to Duke in 1978, said the university has made major strides since she joined the faculty when she was one of four women in a department of 125.

"Looking around the university today you have a number of women in important leadership positions," said Allen, listing Pratt School of Engineering Dean Kristina Johnson; Associate Dean and Director of Admissions for the School of Medicine Brenda Armstrong; and Dean of Duke Law School Katharine Bartlett, among others.

This summer, Allen was named Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity and Faculty Development.

She has long been attentive to faculty governance and diversity issues. Among her responsibilities, she is chair of the Faculty Diversity Standing Committee, comprised of faculty and administrators from the university and medical campuses. The committee compiles and analyzes data annually on recruitment, retention and promotions. It also oversaw a faculty climate survey last year.

Allen and colleagues such as Ann Brown, associate dean for Women in Medicine and Science at the School of Medicine, also coordinate promoting best practices in hiring and mentoring and work/life balance, among other matters.

"The most powerful way that a university shows it is committed to such efforts is having leadership that makes diversity a priority, from the president to the provost to the deans and department chairs," Allen said. "And that's what is happening at Duke."