Faculty Diversity Council (FDC)

The Faculty Diversity Council is a voluntary group of Colgate’s Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) faculty that was established in 2009. At its heart, our mission is to improve the recruitment and retention of racial minority faculty at Colgate, and to promote community for all Colgate employees of color. We lobby and advise the administration, run workshops, hold community-building events, and manage a mentoring program for BIPOC faculty. We also invite BIPOC staff to join many of our events.

If you are an employee at Colgate that identifies as BIPOC faculty or staff, we welcome you to join our mailing list to be invited to our activities and meetings.

Signature Programs and Objectives

Professional Development

We ensure that BIPOC faculty feel supported from the time of hire until their promotion to full professor. To that end, we regularly offer workshops to make sure BIPOC faculty feel prepared for each stage of their career and are aware of the resources available on campus. Our workshops include topics such as preparing your dossier for pre-tenure and tenure review, tips for classroom management, and personal and professional wellness.

Mentorship

In addition to group workshops, all junior BIPOC faculty can request to be paired with a senior faculty mentor. This provides junior faculty with an advocate and one-on-one mentor outside of their department. The Faculty Diversity Council provides support so that mentors and mentees can meet for lunch several times a year.

Advocacy

Making sure BIPOC faculty have a voice and hand in University-wide affairs is at the heart of our mission. BIPOC faculty meet yearly or as needed to share and gather ideas, concerns and perspectives about University affairs to be shared with administrators.

Community

Members of the Faculty Diversity Council gather near the water during an outing at Green Lakes.

We take a holistic approach to building a diverse and inclusive community of scholars. Beyond the professional support, the Faculty Diversity Council organizes social gatherings throughout the year to foster a sense of belonging on and beyond campus. Open to BIPOC faculty, staff, and their families, these social events are designed with a broad, intersectional understanding of diversity and often incorporate other folks in our networks who, because of national origin, ability, or sexuality, for example, are seeking an inclusive community. Our events include things like dining out in Syracuse, hiking, apple-picking, and mixers with BIPOC faculty and staff from neighboring colleges.