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Pignataro, Frankie: Communicating Organizational Change to Create More Faculty Diversity and Retention

Frankie Pignataro poster thumbnailView video presentation

Title:  Communicating Organizational Change to Create More Faculty Diversity and Retention

Name: Frankie Pignataro

Major:  Communication

School affiliation:  School of Arts and Sciences

Programs: Aresty – RA Program

Other contributors: Ann Albert and Bernadette Gailliard

Abstract: Our research aims to uncover ways to foster an inclusive culture at Rutgers and ensure diverse faculty hiring and retention. There are many factors that affect the hiring process for faculty at universities. Some of these factors include implicit bias on search committees, organizational climate, and grants/funding for research and fellowships. These factors not only affect hiring but the retention of minority faculty. For this project, we began to address some of these diversity issues by creating a presentation that examined their impact on hiring. Then, we examined the processes other universities implemented to compare methods. Moving forward, we are interviewing faculty to uncover their experiences with diversity and inclusion on campus and get their input on how Rutgers can improve. Overall, this project will help create an inclusive culture that supports an organizational shift and facilitates a more diverse representation. We hope to further investigate these practices and determine the best way for Rutgers to move forward in this endeavor.