Henderson-Harris Fellowship Program

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.

Andrew Harris Award

This award is named in honor of Andrew Harris, the University of Vermont’s first African American graduate in 1838. The Andrew Harris Award is for students of color who demonstrate a commitment to creating an inclusive climate for those from underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds and exemplify qualities such as courage, tenacity, and personal fortitude.

APLU IChange Initiative

APLU IChange initiative is designed to develop a more inclusive and diverse STEM faculty. An initial cohort of 18 faculty members completed a six-week training course (Cornell MOOC) on creating and sustaining inclusive, student-centered learning environments.

Provost’s Diversity Fellows

We have formed our second cohort of Diversity Fellows. This program combines monthly meetings throughout the academic year with a two-day institute devoted to curricular design, facilitating dialogue in the classroom, and the campus climate on diversity and inclusion issues. The program goals are to discuss and enhance the understanding of diversity and inclusion concepts amongst faculty and the university community. The Provost’s Faculty Fellow for Diversity has responsibility for promoting diversity and inclusion campus-wide, and assumes a leadership role in advancing specific diversity and inclusion initiatives that directly support our academic and student success priorities.

McKnight Fellows Program (Florida Education Fund)

The McKnight Fellows Program is designed to enhance the pool of qualified applicants for faculty positions. The Provost’s Office sponsors diverse faculty to attend the program to meet prospective diverse candidates for future faculty positions.

Recruitment Guidelines for Tenure and Tenure-Track Faculty

The Provost’s Office has made significant changes in recruitment guidelines (pdf) to include new language in position advertisements and appointment letters. There is now a requirement for all applicants to submit a separate statement of how they will advance diversity and inclusive excellence. The search committee is required to evaluate and weight the statement along with other information during the first round of review.

Exploring Faculty Careers at UVM

This is a faculty recruitment initiative designed to bring promising future faculty prospects to UVM for a mock interview and orientation visit.

National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity

The University of Vermont is an Institutional Member of the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD), which means UVM faculty can access the center’s services without paying a fee. The NCFDD is a nationally recognized, independent organization that provides online career development and mentoring resources for faculty, post-docs, and graduate students. The center provides a range virtual programs and resources including:

• Monthly Core Curriculum Webinars
• Monthly Guest Expert Webinars
• Access to Multi-Week Courses
• Private Discussion Forum for peer-mentoring, problem-solving, and moderated writing challenges
• Access to the Member Library that includes past webinar materials, referrals, and readings

North Star Collective - NEBHE Program

NEBHE aims to lead the region in reparative justice efforts, and, to that end, we have created the North Star Collective (NSC). The NSC is a part of NEBHE’s broader reparative justice initiative, which is committed to restoring, nourishing and uplifting BIPOC faculty in the region, and supporting leaders as they transform institutions around racial equity.

Annual Review Guidelines and Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Guidelines

The Provost’s Office is creating ongoing systemic changes in practices and procedures to foster an institutional culture that values diversity and inclusion and raises expectations for accountability. Among these are the revision of faculty annual evaluation guidelines and promotion and tenure guidelines to include criteria for appraisal of contributions to advancing diversity and inclusion; and revision of the language to all university awards for faculty to include commitment to diversity and inclusion as selection criteria.

Academic Success Goals

Included in the Academic Success Goals for the University of Vermont (ASG) is an ASG to increase the diversity of perspectives, experiences, and thought. The Academic Success Goals are intended to support President Garimella’s strategic areas of impact, see Amplifying Our Impact: Strategic Vision for UVM, and reflect priorities in Teaching and Learning, Knowledge Creation, and Engagement. They were developed during the spring 2020 semester, and are the result of ideas, suggestions, and feedback from the members of the Academic Leadership Council and the faculty and staff in their respective units. Progress against these goals will be measured by the Office of Institutional Research. The Academic Success Goals should guide the work of all members of our community – faculty, staff, and students – who participate in, support, and contribute to our academic mission.