JEDII STEM Series – Supporting equity-deserving groups: Recruiting, retaining and supporting leaders from equity-deserving groups

How can we do more to support the path for equity-deserving groups into leadership roles in STEM at UBC? In this session we will explore the barriers that exist in the path to leadership including inequitable hiring and recruitment processes, lack of role models, and hostile work-place environments once equity-deserving groups enter leadership positions. Through a panel discussion format, we hope to explore strategies and practices that faculty, staff and leaders can do to support from above and below to recruit and retain leaders from equity-deserving groups.

In this session, we have panelists Jason Murray, President and Founder of BIPOC Executive Search, and Ella Hipolito, Senior Associate from Boyden, who have extensive experience providing support to equity-deserving groups in the hiring process and working strategically to convince leadership search committees to value JEDII in hiring practices. In addition, Naznin Virji-Babul, who is the senior advisor on women and gender-diverse faculty at UBC, and other STEM leaders will be invited to share their perspectives.

Key questions addressed in this session:

– What are key practices for units to attract and recruit leaders from equity-deserving groups?
– Once hired, what are key practices to support leaders from equity-deserving groups from below and from above?
– What types of structures and strategies help the “leadership-curious” faculty and staff members from equity-deserving groups to step into leadership roles?