SUBJECT:

Creation of a Senate-Administration Task Force on Underrepresented Faculty

In this decade of rapid growth, it is especially important that we maintain UCSD's tradition of recruiting the highest quality faculty. As an essential part of that process, this is an opportune time to review the campus' efforts with respect to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty, and their opportunities for professional development and academic advancement. My intention is to gather a thoughtful, primarily qualitative review of the policies, practices, outcomes, strengths and weaknesses of our faculty diversification efforts.

To this end, I am forming a joint Academic Senate-Administration Task Force on Underrepresented Faculty to advise me, Acting Senior Vice Chancellor Miller, and Vice Chancellors Holmes and Kennel on these matters. The Task Force, predominantly comprised of faculty members, will convene in February and complete its work by the end of the 2004 Spring Quarter. The Academic Senate's Committee on Committees is preparing a slate of faculty nominations for this Task Force, and I also welcome campus input.

If you would like more information on this initiative, please direct your questions and suggestions to the office of Acting Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs David Miller, or to Interim Associate Chancellor Ann Briggs Addo.

Marsha A. Chandler Acting Chancellor