The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is one of the most ethnically diverse campuses in the United States. To best support and educate our students, Mānoa is dedicated to hiring a diverse faculty body. The UH Manoa is dedicated to promoting social justice and diversity in university hiring and has worked with Oregon State University in the development of the Search Advocate program.
Search Advocates serve as process advisors on search committees. They are faculty members external to the units that are undergoing faculty searches, for the purpose of enhancing diversity, validity, and equity within the search and selection process. Search advocates play a vital role in position development, recruitment, screening, interviews, references, evaluation, and integration of the new faculty into the institution. They help to advance inclusive excellence by identifying and promoting practices that support diversity and social justice, and minimize the impacts of cognitive and structural biases. As external committee members, advocates are able to explore assumptions, norms, and practices that an internal member might not question.
Search Advocates do not substitute their judgment for the judgment of committee members; most often they ask questions to help committee members test their thinking and recognize the implications of assumptions, strategies, and practices under consideration. Search Advocates promote equity, inclusion, diversity, and justice by sharing information, recommending inclusive and equitable strategies, supporting full committee and stakeholder participation, and consulting with the Search Advocate Program staff as needed.