Untitled

Human Resource Services
Office of the Vice President
903 W. University Avenue
P.O. Box 115000
Gainesville, FL 32611-5000
352-392-1075
352-392-5495 Fax
www.hr.ufl.edu
Dear
DearColleague:
Conferees,
It Itisismy
youtotothe
theUniversity
University
Florida’s
Sixth
Annual
Equity
and Divermypleasure
pleasureto
to welcome
welcome you
of of
Florida
and the
Human
Resource
Services
sity Conference. This conference is one of the ways UF’s Office of Human Resource Services is
Equity andthe
Diversity
This conference
one of the
ways Human
Resource Services
is
supporting
goal ofConference.
providing leadership
in theisdesign,
delivery,
and evaluation
of programs
that
support an
vision
and commitment
to diversity.
supporting
theinstitutional
goal of providing
leadership
in the design,
delivery, and evaluation of programs
which support an institutional vision and commitment to diversity.
This conference has brought together an impressive group of individuals who will address issues
surrounding diversity and non-discrimination. Attendance at this conference demonstrates your
This conference has brought together an impressive group of individuals who will address issues
support
of employment diversity and inclusion principles.
surrounding diversity, non-discrimination and community engagement. Attendance at this
conference
demonstrates
your support
of employment
diversity
and inclusion
principles.
We
appreciate
your participation
and trust
you will find
the experience
valuable.
It is our sincere
hope that attendees, as well as their colleagues back home, will benefit from the information and
become increasingly engaged in the process of building a stronger and diverse enrollment and
We appreciate your participation and trust you will find it a valuable experience. It is our sincere
workforce.
hope that attendees, as well as their colleagues back home, will benefit and become increasingly
engaged in the process of building a stronger and diverse enrollment and workforce.
PaulaVarnes
VarnesFussell
Fussell
Paula
Vice President for Human Resource Services
Vice President for Human Resource Services
The Foundation for The Gator Nation
An Equal Opportunity Institution
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
University of Florida
Human Resource Services
Emerson Alumni Hall
Gainesville, Florida
8:00 – 8:30 a.m.
Registration and Continental Breakfast Teaching Classroom
8:30 – 8:45 a.m.
WelcomeTeaching Classroom
Paula Varnes Fussell
UF Vice President for Human Resource Services
Logistics
Larry T. Ellis
UF Director of Institutional Equity and Diversity
8:45 – 10:15 a.m.
Academic Pedigree
Paul D’Anieri
Dean, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
University of Florida
Teaching Classroom
Presentation Abstract: Dr. D’Anieri has served on search committees for more than 20 years and will speak
about academic pedigree. He will highlight how most search committees review the qualifications of faculty
applications and the impact of applicants who study at Ivy League schools, those from other AAU top peer
schools, and those who do not go to great universities—and the discussions regarding pedigree in search committee meetings. He will discuss the unwritten philosophy that some campus units “don’t hire its own” PhD
graduates and the ability to “grow your own” as a way to build a diverse faculty and staff.
10:15 – 10:30 a.m. Break
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Faculty Recruitment and Retention
Sonel Y. Shropshire
President, The Academic Network Inc.
Teaching Classroom
Presentation Abstract: The Academic Network Inc. is an elite academic diversity recruitment firm. The Minority Recruitment Institute is an on-campus professional development workshop designed to provide effective
strategies in minority recruitment. Dr. Shropshire’s presentation will include an overview of diversity recruitment strategies; development of diversity statements; creating “feeder” programs with HBCUs, HSIs and
Tribal Colleges; implementing relationships with minority professional and academic associations; and creating effective recruitment publications.
12 noon – 1:15 p.m. Lunch
Warrington Conference Room
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS CONTINUED
1:15 – 2:45 p.m. Connecting with the EEOC
Teaching Classroom
Kessela Brown
District Program Analyst, Miami District Office
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Presentation Abstract: Ms. Brown will speak about recent cases, adverse impact analysis, and retaliation. Retaliation cases have surpassed the number of race discrimination allegations for the first time in EEOC history.
She will also be including some pitfalls employers encounter when responding to EEOC complaints.
2:45 – 3:00 p.m.
Break
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Recent Discrimination Cases in Higher Education
Teaching Classroom
Janet Park Balanoff
Director, Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Programs
University of Central Florida
Presentation Abstract: Ms. Balanoff will provide an overview of relevant discrimination court decisions from
the last few years from a practitioner’s perspective. She will highlight what caused employers to end up on
the wrong or right side of the decisions. She will also highlight how conference participants might be able to
prevent wrong decisions from happening or apply right-side decisions on their campus/department/division/
unit, etc.
4:00 – 4:30 p.m. Equal Opportunity – Is it Art or Science? Teaching Classroom
Cheryl Gonzalez
Chair of the Council on Equal Opportunity and Diversity
State University System
Director of Equal Opportunity Programs, University of North Florida
Presentation Abstract: A great mind once said that it is shameful for a frog to not sing the praises of his own
pond. On the other hand, another great mind said those who sing their own praises are likely to sing them out
of tune. So where do the twain meet, and how does one strike a balance within the context of the work of equal
opportunity and diversity practitioners? Is what we do an art or is it a science? Do we help organizations perform admirably or is there another message? The answer given might well define our future.
GUEST SPEAKERS
Janet Park Balanoff is the director of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Programs at the University
of Central Florida. The mission of her office is to encourage the campus to practice affirmative action and end
discrimination based on race, sex, color, national origin, age, religion, disability, marital status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, and veteran’s status.
UCF EO/AA produces the annual Affirmative Action Plan Update, and Ms. Balanoff designs and implements
outreach programs throughout the year to support the campus affirmative action program. She presents the
university’s non-discrimination policy to New Employee Orientation sessions, discussing prohibitions against
discrimination (including harassment) and retaliation. Ms. Balanoff also investigates discrimination grievances
and discrimination charges which have been filed externally.
She was the founding chair of the Council on Equal Opportunity and Diversity, working for its first five years
with the 11 state university equity officers on issues of concern in the profession before passing the gavel. Ms.
Balanoff holds a Master of Science in Public Administration from Florida State University and a bachelor’s
degree in journalism from the University of Florida.
Kessela Brown serves as the district program analyst at the Miami District Office of the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Ms. Brown provides legal outreach and education as well as fee based
training for various stakeholders in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. She also serves as the
Miami district small business liaison and manages the agency’s public relations activities for this region.
Prior to joining the EEOC, Ms. Brown served as an Asylum Officer at the Department of Homeland Security in
the Refugee, Asylum, and International Operations Directorate. In this capacity, Ms. Brown made decisions on
international human rights cases from countries throughout the world. She has worked with members of the
United Nations and the International Organization of Migration in the execution of refugee resettlement claims
and at the Board of Veteran Appeals in Washington, DC, where she represented veterans before administrative
law judges to help veterans obtain compensation and pension benefits.
Ms. Brown served as an appointed advisor to the District of Columbia’s Veterans Affairs Advisory Board and
she has represented the American Legion before the House and Senate Veterans Affairs committees.
Ms. Brown honorably served on active duty with the United States Army. She earned her bachelor’s degree in
Finance at Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University and holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of
the District of Columbia School of Law.
Paul D’Anieri is dean of the University of Florida College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.
Prior to joining UF, Dr. D’Anieri served as associate dean for International Programs at
the University of Kansas from 1999 to 2003, director of its Center for Russian and European Studies from 2003-2004, and associate dean of Humanities from 2004 until accepting his appointment as dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at UF.
As an associate professor of political science at the University of Kansas, Dr. D’Anieri’s
research centered on the international and domestic politics of the Soviet Union, and in
addition to Germany and Ukraine, his studies have taken him to Russia, Kyrgyzstan,
and Azerbaijan. After the Soviet Union collapsed, D’Anieri won a Fulbright Scholarship
GUEST SPEAKERS
to Ukraine, where he picked up a third foreign language while working as a visiting scholar at L’viv State
University. During the summer of 1998, D’Anieri was a visiting associate professor at Harvard University’s
Ukrainian Research Institute.
Dr. D’Anieri was awarded a bachelor’s degree in international relations at Michigan State University, followed
by a master’s and doctorate in government at Cornell University.
Cheryl Gonzalez is director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity at the University of
North Florida, Jacksonville. She has a wealth of experience in and knowledge about
equity and diversity in higher education, having also served at Miami-Dade College,
Florida State University, and Florida Gulf Coast University. In addition, her combined
20-year track record in the field throughout Florida includes banking, finance, and city
government.
Ms. Gonzalez is chair of the Council on Equal Opportunity and Diversity, which comprises Florida’s public university equal opportunity directors; she is currently chair of
the Florida Advisory Council on Small and Minority Business Development.
Throughout his 15-year academic career, Sonel Y. Shropshire has been recognized as
an expert on methods of creating effective diversity strategies for academic institutions.
As president of The Academic Network Inc., he has developed minority recruitment
strategies for faculty, staff, and students for more than 122 institutions.
In December 2006, Dr. Shropshire created the Minority Faculty Applicant Database
(MFAD), an extensive minority faculty applicant locator service. More than 543 academic institutions currently advertise faculty and administrative positions in MFAD to
a database of more than 5,700 interested minority candidates.
After his tenure at Washington College as a recruiter, Dr. Shropshire received his
Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida College of Law in 1997. He became the university’s Director of
Graduate Minority Recruitment. While at UF, he increased the number of minority applicants to the graduate
school by 25%. As a member of numerous academic committees, he was instrumental in increasing the number of African-American, Latino, and Native American professors within the university’s 135 departments. He
became the minority affairs liaison to the vice provost and the university president.
Dr. Shropshire is one of the only administrators in the country who has served as assistant dean and director
of admissions in all four tiers of law schools ranked by U.S. News & World Report. Over his extensive professional career, he has reviewed more than 61,000 graduate and law school applications for the University of
California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Loyola Marymount University, Texas Wesleyan University, and Stetson
University. While interim director of admissions for Stetson University, he created the “Diversity Task Force”
to examine methods of increasing student, staff, and faculty diversity. At Texas Wesleyan, he improved the law
school’s academic credentials and diversity profile in each incoming class. At Loyola Marymount, his effective
recruitment measure produced one of the highest enrollments of minority students. While there, he also served
on the Dean’s Cabinet. During his tenure at UCLA, Dr. Shropshire developed the diversity recruitment strategy that dramatically increased the number of enrolled African-American students from fall 2005 to fall 2006.
Notes:
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Paula Varnes Fussell, UF Vice President for Human Resource Services
Lynne Vaughan, Director of University Bookstores
SiseneG Midget, Human Resources Coordinator
Angie Brown, Communications Coordinator
Angela Gould, Communications Coordinator
Kimberly Goughnour, Council For Diversity Logo Designer
and to all our speakers for their timely and thoughtful presentations