Evaluating the Applicant Pool with Diversity in Mind
To ensure that applicants are evaluated with diversity in mind, remember to
be open minded about:
- interruptions in degree programs or work careers; for example, to care
for a parent or child because of a disability;
- the reputation of degree-granting or employing institutions, as star
employees have come out of lesser-known institutions (institutional
reputation alone, however well deserved, should not preclude
consideration of applicants from other solid schools);
- careers begun in or including government, business, voluntary service,
or other non-academic settings, which are often sources of first time
employment for women, minorities, veterans, and persons with
disabilities, as well as necessary employment options for trailing
spouses in dual career couple relocations; and
- the value and transferability of skills and experience acquired in these
varied settings.
