Candidates visit RIT for recruitment program

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Some of the 2012 participants of the Future Faculty Career Exploration program gather after one of the workshops. The program, now in its 11th year, brings scholars near the end of their doctoral studies to RIT to explore career options.

Rochester Institute of Technology will welcome 20 prospective faculty to its Future Faculty Career Exploration Program Sept. 18–21. The annual event, now in its 11th year, brings diverse faculty candidates to campus to explore teaching or post-doctoral opportunities at the university.

The program is one of the university’s successful initiatives for recruiting prospective faculty, said Renee Baker, executive director of RIT’s Office of Faculty Recruitment and Retention and founder of the program Future Faculty Exploration Program. Candidates are brought to campus as they near the completion of doctoral study or post-doctoral assignments to spend several days on campus, meet with deans and department faculty as well as present their current scholarly work.

“This continues to be about relationship building,” said Baker. Since the program was established, the university has hired 16 faculty, several of whom have attained tenure since they began at RIT. Others have been hired for post-doctoral positions or have made connections for additional research opportunities, she added.

Several event highlights include: presentations by participants; AALANA student and faculty interactions; welcome reception hosted by RIT’s provost; and a reception and dinner at Liberty Hill, RIT’s president’s residence. Participants will also be involved in discussions on living and working in Rochester and receive a tour of the area.

While the weekend event encourages current departments to meet prospective faculty, it is also an opportunity for candidates to practice interviewing techniques and receive feedback on scholarly work in formal and informal settings. The event also provides a pipeline and practicum for the scholars as they complete their doctoral studies and seek positions as part of university faculty.

“Even if they do not come to RIT, they have built relationships here,” said Baker. “We continually remind people of these future connections. They speak well of RIT to others in their academic programs and universities. And we provide a resource for our campus in making recruiting recommendations for diverse candidates.”

The program has been recognized as one of the top recruiting strategies among U.S. universities for its long-term strategies of building relationships with prospective candidates and consistently showing that despite rumors to the contrary, qualified diverse university faculty candidates are available.

Related articles:
Future Faculty Career Exploration Program influences growth of diverse faculty at RIT
Establishing an early connection: RIT (Profiles in Diversity Journal, feature on Professor Robert Osgood, RIT College of Science)