"The unit must implement effective strategies to recruit, retain, and increase the percentage of teacher educators who are of color or indigenous in proportion to either regional or state K-12 student demographic ratios."

According to the MN 2021 Teacher Supply and Demand Report published by PELSB,  the diversity of the K-12 student population in Minnesota (38% BIPOC students) and Twin Cities Metro Area (48%) is steadily increasing yet the percentage of BIPOC educators in the state (5.6%) and region (12%) remain unacceptably low. 

UED has implemented targeted strategies to recruit, attract and retain teacher educators who are of color or indigenous. We are the only teacher preparation unit in Minnesota with a majority (10 of 13 or 77%) full-time faculty and staff who are BIPOC.  One of our greatest strengths is that our faculty come from a variety of racial, ethnic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds and experiences. Among full-time faculty alone, 5 of 7 (71%) of full-time faculty are of color and 7 of 19 (37%) of adjunct “community” faculty teaching courses are of color.  Some of the strategies include:

• Prioritization: Over the years, it has been a consistent priority of search committees and deans to recruit and engage in practices that would seek to  retain more diverse  faculty and staff  with a focus on the mission and vision of the foundational principles  of  UED. This strategy  is rooted in research  to reflect and create an environment that seeks to sustain  the racially/ethnically diverse teacher candidates we enroll. This priority is stated as one of UED’s Guiding Principles …  “Have diverse faculty and staff who represent, reflect upon and model the vision, mission and guiding principles of the School of Urban Education'' accompanying our Vision and Mission. Without implementing any quotas, the UED has hired and retained a majority of faculty and staff of color during every year of its two decades of operation.
• Building Upon our Mission and the Existing Diversity of our Students and Faculty/Staff: Unlike other teacher education units with few or no teacher educators who are of color or indigenous, the UED attracts racially and ethnically diverse candidates because we make explicit what our demographics are, and applicants are interested in joining our uncommonly diverse learning community. The missions of UED and the University resonate with applicants. In terms of retention, the most consistent reasons given why UED faculty and staff choose to stay at Metro State is “our students” and our mission.
• Language Used in Job Vacancy Notices: We have always had racially and ethnically diverse pools of candidates apply for open positions because we carefully craft our vacancy notices in ways that give indication to potential candidates of what types of professional and life experiences are most desired in the UED.
• Questions asked in Job Interviews: We ask questions during the interview process that ensure all successful candidates for positions, whether BIPOC or white, have strong understanding of, commitment to and experiences with/in racially and ethnically diverse communities.
• Courses and Curriculum: The emphasis on integrating culturally responsive and relevant curriculum throughout required courses in all of our programs helps recruit and retain our racially and ethnically diverse faculty and staff of teacher educators. Such topics are not pigeon-holed in a singular “diversity” course.
• Supportive University Units and Groups: The Human Resources Department and the Office of Equity and Inclusion establish hiring procedures for all employees, and approve all applicant pools, semi-finalist pools, and finalist pools ensuring that pools are aligned with the University’s affirmative action goals and plans. Moreover, the Center for Faculty Development has a mission that “supports community and resident faculty in innovative teaching, scholarship, and service to promote transformational student learning in a diverse, antiracist, urban learning community.”  In addition, Metro State has a faculty of color caucus that supports non tenured and tenured faculty in an affinity space.