The Henderson-Harris Fellowship Program honors the memory of George Washington Henderson and Andrew Harris. George Washington Henderson was one of the first African American students elected to Phi Beta Kappa and to graduate from the University of Vermont (class of 1877). Andrew Harris was not only the very first African American graduate of the University of Vermont (class of 1838), but he was also the first African American college graduate in the United States to champion the abolition of slavery and to demand full equality for people of color. The Henderson-Harris Fellowship Program, offered in cooperation with academic departments, sponsors post-doctoral scholars who can help to advance UVM’s research and teaching goals and assist in reaching identified diversity goals, especially with respect to the specific academic curricula.

The Henderson-Harris fellowships are awarded for a maximum of two years with the expectation the Fellow will transition to a tenure-track position at UVM at the completion of the fellowship. The requesting unit must contribute at least one-half of the starting salary and start-up expenses. In-kind commitments from the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs (VPFA) and the Vice President for Research (VPR) will be in the form of professional development, peer mentoring, community building, and networking opportunities, as applicable. Candidates are individuals who are authorized to work in the United States and who identify as people/persons of color.  UVM will not sponsor employment authorization for these positions. Academic units are encouraged to assess the interest and potential of Henderson-Harris Fellows candidates before the submission of the Faculty Staffing proposal. Academic units are also strongly encouraged to explore joint efforts and identify thematic areas for cluster hires.

Henderson-Harris Fellow Recruitment Workflow (PDF)

This program contributes to the following:

Academic Success Goals     1.1, 1.5 and 2.2.

Inclusion Excellence            Pillar 1 Component 1, Pillar 2 Component 1, Pillar 4 Component 3

Amplifying Our Impact Strategic Area     All

Primary Lead:            Office of the Provost

Supporting Units:      Vice President for Research; Deans

Related programs:     George Washington Henderson New Faculty Program

                                     Provost's Future Faculty Program

Process

1. Academic Unit Dean submits Henderson-Harris Fellow (HHF) Statement of Recruitment Interest and a brief description of Onboarding and Transition Plan with the annual faculty Staffing Proposal to the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs (VPFA) and Financial Analysis and Budgeting (FAB) for review and approval.

2. The Provost will select up to four requests for Henderson-Harris Fellow per year. Criteria for selection include, but are not limited to:

a. Anticipated need for delivery of academic program
b. Potential for increasing interdisciplinary research in areas of distinctive strength
c. Contribution to the delivery of the Catamount Core, the Honors College curriculum, or the graduate level curriculum
d. Strength of the Academic Unit’s plan for onboarding and transitioning the candidate to a tenure track position
e. Alignment with the goals of the unit’s Inclusive Excellence Action Plan

3. Deans of the units selected for a Henderson-Harris Fellow will each appoint Search Committees and follow the Non-Tenure Track (NTT) guidelines for faculty searches.

4. Academic Units with approved search materials, generates Electronic Requisition in PeopleAdmin, advertise/recruit, and identify candidates to extend offers to; and send it to VPFA for review and approval.

5. If approved, Dean submits detailed Onboarding and Transition Plan/Commitment Agreement and an Appointment Letter to Faculty Services and the VPFA for review and approval.

6. If approved, Dean extends offer outlined in the Commitment Agreement to faculty candidate, including responsibilities to the Henderson Fellowship Program.

7. Dean communicates candidate’s acceptance of offer to Office of the Provost.

8. Candidate’s information is entered by Office of the Provost into HHF database.

9. VPFA notifies Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (VPDEI).

10. VPDEI contacts candidate with information on Henderson-Harris Fellows, including participation in required activities.

11. VPFA coordinates with University Communications for public announcement.

Commitment Agreement

a) Home unit(s) and years of appointment
b) Salary commitment per year: __ Hiring Unit __ Provost __ VPR __ Other Unit
c) Start-up commitment per year: __ Hiring Unit __ Provost __ VPR __ Other Unit
d) Teaching assignment
e) Scholarship/research expectations
f) Service expectations
g) Responsibilities as Henderson-Harris Fellow

Onboarding and Transition Plan

Onboarding serves the purpose of informing, orienting, and empowering the new faculty member. The process begins as soon as the offer is accepted and continues throughout the first year of employment. The period between acceptance of the employment offer (typically late Spring) and beginning of employment (typically start of the academic year) is the most critical. Communications with new hire must be transparent, honest, respectful, and frequent. Please review the responsibilities listed below for those offices involved to ensure a successful onboarding process is in place.

(a) Responsibilities of department chair (or Associate Dean in units without chairs)

o Devises 90-day personalized onboarding plan in collaboration with the Dean’s office;
o Maintains frequent contact with new hire through the summer;
o Communicates department’s imperatives, plans, and goals;
o Assists with office/lab set-up and facilitates contact with vendors, tech personnel, and others, as needed;
o Designs mentoring plan and assigns department mentor;
o Fosters development of personal and professional relationships with members of the department, university, and community;
o Identifies and reports issues that require dean and provost intervention; and
o Devises two-year plan for professional development and successful transition to tenure track and sets benchmark expectations for research/scholarship and teaching.

(b) Responsibilities of Dean’s Office

o Provides information on housing, schools/childcare/assisted living, community initiatives, houses of worship, and other conditions as requested;
o Assists and supports department chair in their responsibilities;
o Develop onboarding plan for Henderson-Harris Fellows; and
o Works with HR to assign NetID and access to university resources.

(c) Responsibilities of Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

o Provides updates through the summer on university activities and opportunities for professional development;
o Coordinates research resource training with OVPR through the First Year Faculty Experience program;
o Communicates information on New Faculty Orientation (NFO), First-Year Faculty Experience (FYFE) Program, and the Comprehensive Faculty Mentoring Program;
o Provides information on Henderson-Harris Fellowship Program;
o Collaborates with academic units in assigning a mentor;
o Coordinates new appointment announcements with the Office of Communications; and
o Reviews Candidates’ Blue Sheets and recommendations for Tenure Track Hire from academic units.

(d) Responsibilities of the Office of the Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

o Facilitates contact with Henderson-Harris Fellows community; and
o Facilitates contacts with other under-represented faculty on campus.