Plan for Recruitment and Retention of Diverse Staff
Diversity and inclusiveness play an important role in advancing the GSE’s mission, guiding
principles, conceptual framework, and assessment. As one of the four main pillars of the
GSE’s conceptual framework, Diversity and inclusiveness includes preparing our candidates
to work effectively with diverse populations and to promote inclusive and therapeutic
environments.
The Graduate School of Education recognizes the importance of diversity as it represents a
broad spectrum of values, beliefs and experiences of our students, faculty and staff.
Diversity promotes critical thinking about a wide range of social and cultural issues, fosters
an understanding and acceptance of individuals and social groups from different social and
cultural backgrounds, and acknowledges the contributions each makes to sustain a
democratic society.
Students, faculty and the GSE community can benefit from the expertise and life
experiences diverse staff brings to the Graduate School of Education. As such, the
recruitment and retention of a diverse GSE staff requires the Graduate School of Education
to demonstrate its commitment to equal opportunity by taking steps to actively
disseminate and enforce Portland State University’s anti-discriminatory hiring policies and
practices. The GSE’s hiring policies and practices adhere to the University policy
prohibiting discrimination on the basis of age, color, disability, marital status, national
origin, race/ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and veteran status.
Portland State University and the Graduate School of Education have developed structures
to promote diverse staff:
PSU University-wide Support
• The President’s Office of Equity and
Compliance
• The Diversity Action Council
1. Structures
GSE Plan
 Diversity Committee:
To promote the consideration of diversity
and social justice issues within the GSE,
gather data on the extent to which diversity
is represented in the GSE, and assist in the
preparation of diversity documents for
accreditation.
The mission of the Graduate School of Education includes recruiting and retaining highly
qualified staff who reflect a diverse range of interests, abilities, life experiences, and
worldviews that represent the diversity in our society.
Reviewed and revised with minor change to Committee charge 8/8/14
The single most important strategy to promote equal opportunities is to conduct vigorous
searches, which should help ensure that qualified diverse candidates are represented in the
applicant pools for staff positions. Procedural factors that promote diversity include
position announcements, composition and training of staff search committees, widespread
advertising, and inclusive recruitment activities.
Extensive informal networks, campus organizations, and personal contacts with diverse
members of the professional community all facilitate recruitment efforts.
The university and the GSE have identified these strategies to recruit diverse staff:
2. Recruitment Strategies
PSU University-wide Support
 Campus Centers
www.pdx.edu/diversity/welcome-ourcampus (includes multicultural center, casa
Latina, Native-American center, etc.)
 PSU Diversity Action Council:
http://www.pdx.edu/diversity/diversityaction-council
GSE Plan
 1999 policy added language to all position
descriptions requiring experience in
multicultural settings
 Search committees collaborate with Office
of Equity and Compliance to establish
processes for advertising positions and
evaluating candidates [Note: fast track hire
just goes through HR.]
 Personal contacts and solicited
nominations for staff positions
 Advertise in the PSU website, Oregonian,
Craigslist
 CEED marketing department
 Position description
 HR diversity statement
The Graduate School of Education is committed to promoting diversity both during and
after the recruitment process. Retention of staff from diverse social and cultural
backgrounds can be accomplished by collecting information about departing staff, having a
formal mentoring program, incorporating staff development programs, accommodating
special needs of staff, and monitoring pay equity.
The Graduate School of Education needs to identify challenges associated with retention of
diversity among staff by conducting exit interviews with departing staff, including
minorities and women, to determine the reasons for their departure. This information
provides an opportunity to identify challenges associated with retention and to develop
appropriate responses and policies. After the identification of problems associated with
retention, department chairs and administrative units will be responsible for developing
appropriate action plans and solutions to address problems.
Reviewed and revised with minor change to Committee charge 8/8/14
The Graduate School of Education will provide each staff member with necessary flexibility
to accommodate special needs that contribute to productivity and retention. Staff should
be informed of their options concerning leaves of absence, modified work schedules, and
child-care. Department chairs and administrative units should take into consideration the
parental and medical needs of staff in scheduling staff meetings and assignments. Finally,
mentoring is yet another important strategy that department chairs and administrative
units can develop to retain a diverse staff.
Equitable pay practices and maintaining equal employment opportunity are important to
retaining a diverse staff. The Graduate School of Education should conduct periodic
summary level salary reviews to ensure that staff compensation practices do not reflect
disparities on the basis of race or gender. If problem areas are identified, campuses should
investigate individual cases and ensure that salary levels are based on legitimate
documented considerations based on skills, knowledge and experience.
PSU University-wide Support
 HR Orientation
3. Retention Strategies
GSE Plan
 Staff appreciation events
 Exit interviews with staff
 Frequent supervisor check-ins during
probationary period
 Voluntary, informal mentoring for new
staff
 Supervisor provides support during
annual review process
 Monitoring and maintaining equitable pay
practices
Reviewed and revised with minor change to Committee charge 8/8/14