University of Louisville
PA-7: Support for Future Faculty Diversity

1. The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) is a nonprofit organization that aims to improve education in its 16 member states (including Kentucky). The University of Louisville is specifically involved with the SREB-Doctoral Scholars Program, which is committed to increasing faculty diversity. The Doctoral Scholars Program supports a nationwide initiative to produce more minority PhDs and encourages their pursuit of joining the professoriate. The program offers financial support and guidance for doctoral students throughout their studies.

UofL participates in SREB’s annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, which is the largest gathering of minority doctoral scholars in the country. While at the Institute, doctoral students attend workshops designed to assist in their scholarship and prepare them for success as faculty members. UofL’s participants in the Institute have traditionally included students (SREB doctoral scholars), faculty mentors, and staff, who attend the Institute to recruit minority faculty.

2. The Arts and Sciences Peer Mentoring Program supports small groups of junior faculty, many of which are faculty of color, who want to learn how to be productive scholars and effective teachers. These peer mentoring groups meet regularly to discuss with other junior faculty various topics, including how to be a productive scholar, time-management skills, syllabus design, teaching practice, or the formal and informal standards for success.

3. Inclusive Teaching Circles are small cohorts of faculty who meet monthly to discuss how teaching can be made more inclusive of students of all social identities. Typically, such meetings focus on a reading concerning research on oppression, pedagogy, or best practices. The outcomes include more effective and inclusive teaching practices and the development of a community of practitioners who come together to share their experiences and knowledge.