Director of Community Engagement, Office of the Provost Faculty Retention Jill Irvine Presidential Professor, Women’s and Gender Studies and International and Area Studies Director of Community Engagement, Office of the Provost

Now that we’ve hired them, how do we keep them? Retention of good faculty is critical to the success of the department and the university As departmental and university leaders, you play a pivotal role in ensuring that faculty that faculty are able to thrive and reach their maximum potential Money is important but it’s not everything and maybe not as important as you think

Departmental Climate Review department goals: Do they reflect all faculty? Is there an equitable allocation of resources? Fair, equitable and transparent policies for T&P Create a sense of community: departmental social events, research talks, etc. Foster informal social networks Make sure all voices are heard and respected at faculty meetings and other decision making processes Check in individually with faculty members outside the annual review process

Mentoring Establish a departmental mentoring program for pre-tenure faculty Encourage faculty to find mentors outside the department through the Institutional Mentoring Program http://facultydevelopment.ou.edu/mentorship Encourage mentors to Identify and take advantage of faculty development programs Create bridges for mentees and connect them to colleagues at the university and in their professional community Help navigate the organizational structure and environment of OU Provide feedback on papers, proposals, teaching Serve as a sounding board Collaborate on projects of mutual interest

Academic Reward System Clear and fair policies and procedures for T&P Monitor workload distribution Identify other definitions of success Systematically monitor decision to eliminate unintentional bias and create opportunities for all faculty Recognize excellence—nominate faculty for awards

Diversity and Inclusion Take advantage of training opportunities on implicit bias Provide assurance to faculty that in the event of hostile behavior they will receive support and guidance from the chair Ensure that faculty deliberation on T&P is conducted in an unbiased and fair manner and focuses on established unit criteria for T&P As “implementers,” help establish the climate for the importance of diversity and inclusion Establish a clear departmental policy of parental leave

Dual Career Couples Check in regularly with dual career couples Work with other departments toward achieving the most satisfactory employment status of the spousal hire in their unit Work with other departments to help them retain their faculty member through considering spousal accommodation in your unit

Outside Offers and Counteroffers Move beyond a culture where a counteroffer is the only opportunity for faculty members to renegotiate the terms of their position Think beyond salary when making a counteroffer—use the whole toolkit Help faculty in their transition away from OU Gather systematic data about reasons for departures and use findings to make improvements

Faculty Success Retention of good faculty is critical to the success of the department and the university As leaders, you play the pivotal role in retaining good faculty through creating a collegial and supportive environment, maintaining fair T&P policies and procedures, providing opportunities for mentoring and leadership Be proactive, don’t wait until a faculty member comes to you with an outside offer