New LSA postdoc program selects diversity scholars

The College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) has welcomed the first cohort into its Collegiate Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (LCPFP), designed to identify and prepare outstanding scholars with demonstrated commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion for possible tenure-track appointments at the school. The creation of the program, which is administered by LSA and the U-M’s National Center for Institutional Diversity (NCID), was prompted by the college’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan.

In its inaugural year, the program’s seven fellows were selected from a pool of 762 applicants through a multi-step review and evaluation process at the department and college levels.

Recruiting and retaining faculty whose research and scholarship, teaching and service contribute to diversity, equity and inclusion — on campus and in society at large — is a growing priority for higher education institutions, including U-M. “We have made a commitment to ensure a scholarly environment that will meet the needs of our diverse community,” said Dean Andrew D. Martin. This position was affirmed by NCID Director Tabbye Chavous, who noted that “the quality of the scholarship we produce and the educational experience we provide to all our students is dependent upon having faculty from diverse backgrounds and perspectives who demonstrate the skills and capacities to effectively create inclusive and equitable learning environments.

“The LCPFP is a promising strategy that can serve as a model for institutional transformation across the U-M and nationally.”