Bill Text: NJ S2793 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Amended


Bill Title: Requires campus diversity actions at public institutions of higher education and directs Secretary of Higher Education and Division on Civil Rights to develop guidance regarding diversity in faculty search and selection process.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-12-20 - Assembly Floor Amendment Passed (Johnson) [S2793 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2020-S2793-Amended.html

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 2793

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED AUGUST 3, 2020

 


 

Sponsored by:

Senator  M. TERESA RUIZ

District 29 (Essex)

Senator  NELLIE POU

District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators Singleton, Gopal and Turner

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires campus diversity actions at public institutions of higher education and directs Secretary of Higher Education and Division on Civil Rights to develop guidance regarding diversity in faculty search and selection process. 

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As amended by the General Assembly on June 24, 2021.

  


An Act concerning diversity at public institutions of higher education and supplementing chapter 62 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes. 

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    a.  A public institution of higher education shall develop a faculty and student diversity plan.  The diversity plan shall establish clear and specific goals for increasing the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty 1, staff,1 and students for each academic program at the institution.  The plan shall:

     (1)   establish diversity goals for increasing the recruitment and retention of students, faculty, and staff who represent diverse backgrounds 1that, in the case of a county college, are representative of the demographics of the county in which the college is located and, in the case of a four-year public institution of higher education, are representative of the demographics of the State1

     (2)   identify steps to achieve the diversity goals established by the institution under the plan;

     (3)   identify metrics to be used by the institution when  monitoring progress towards meeting the diversity goals;

     (4)   outline programming that will improve and enhance the campus climate for a diverse faculty and student body; and

     (5)   address student learning to ensure that all students acquire the knowledge, experience, and cultural competencies necessary to succeed in the workforce. 

      b.   The institution shall update the diversity strategic plan every three years, and as needed. 

 

      2.   a.  A public institution of higher education shall annually develop and submit to the Secretary of Higher Education a student diversity report.  The student diversity report shall include, for each academic degree program at the institution:

     (1)   the new enrollment rates, the third semester retention rates; the graduation rates; and the professional certification rates of recent graduates, for each academic program of the institution. This information shall be further broken down by race, ethnicity, and gender; and

     (2)   a description of any targeted programs, services, or supports offered by the institution to support the successful education of students who represent diverse backgrounds.

     b.    The Secretary of Higher Education shall prepare an annual report containing a compilation of the data collected pursuant to subsection a. of this section. The secretary shall submit the report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), by  November 15th of each year.

 

      3.   The governing board of a public institution of higher education shall assign a new or existing employee to serve as a 1[faculty] staff1 diversity ambassador for each school and college of the institution.  The 1[faculty] staff1 diversity ambassador shall ensure the implementation of the diversity strategic plan established pursuant to section 1 of this act and shall report directly to the governing board of the institution. 

 

      4.   a.  A public institution of higher education shall provide annual diversity training to all faculty, staff, and students who may serve on a faculty search committee.  The training shall set forth a list of specific interventions for addressing unconscious bias in the context of faculty recruitment.  The interventions shall be grounded in research and shall include, but need not be limited to:

     (1)   strategies to recruit an excellent and diverse pool of applicants;

     (2)   discussion that raises awareness of unconscious assumptions and their influence on the evaluation of applicants; and

     (3)   strategies to ensure a fair and thorough review of applicants through the establishment of uniform academic criteria, evaluation templates, and interview questions to be used for evaluating candidates.

      b.   The institution shall require its faculty search committees to increase the number of candidates considered for faculty positions who are members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups by such measures as are established by that institution's governing board.  The institution shall report annually to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on its efforts. 

 

      5.   a.  The Secretary of Higher Education 1, in collaboration with the Director of the Division on Civil Rights in the Department of Law and Public Safety,1 shall develop guidance for public institutions of higher education concerning the faculty search and selection process 1, in alignment with recommendations put forth in the 2020 report of the New Jersey Interagency Task Force to Combat Youth Bias1.  The purpose of the guidance shall be to assist institutions in identifying, recruiting, and retaining diverse faculty.

      b.   The guidance developed by the secretary shall include, but not be limited to, information on best practices at each stage of the recruiting and hiring process such as: having an approved recruitment search plan; writing broad, inclusive, and gender free position descriptions and job advertisements; engaging in continual networking at professional conferences, especially those where women and minorities are prominently represented; being vigilant for future talent; and providing dual career resources for a spouse or significant other.  The guidance shall also address best practices for creating a vibrant, inclusive community on campus that ensures the continued growth and opportunities needed to retain a diverse faculty. 

 

     6.    This act shall take effect immediately. 

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