IV. Recruitment of Personnel and Students

Findings

Those who are employed at an institution are the true soul of its operation. These people are the embodiment of the mission and must represent all that is good and positive about the institution and the good work it does. In order to promote this image successfully, it is critical that outstanding faculty, staff, and students are recruited to enhance those currently a part of NCSSM.

Issues of diversity are raised in a negative sense when appropriate role models are not made available to students in the classrooms or do not reflect the rich diversity of the student body itself. Issues of fairness are raised when questions surface about how recruitment is handled or how opportunities are provided to those already employed.

The Commission found that there is a shortage of minority faculty and a declining number of student applications, especially from minorities. Some qualified minority faculty turn down employment offers. This lack of diversity and adult role models is a concern.

Some students indicated there is a lack of knowledge about NCSSM in high schools across the state.

As public schools change and as the nature of society changes in such areas as increased reliance on distance learning, the school needs to make sure these changes are reflected in the mission and goals of the school.

On the positive side, the staff working with residential life represents diversity and they are addressing role model needs. Recently, there seem to be greater efforts being made to recruit alumni to the faculty and staff.

Recommendations

1. A study should be undertaken to determine strategies for recruiting more minority faculty and students.
   • The faculty recruitment and selection processes need to be evaluated and recruitment strategies need to be reviewed. This should include looking at barriers to recruiting highly qualified minority faculty, especially initial offers where contracts may not provide adequate job security to attract the most competitive candidates. Policies and procedures that may be barriers to employment should be examined and changed if necessary.
   • Efforts should be made to make sure that high school guidance counselors across the state are aware of NCSSM as an opportunity for some students and they need to be encouraged to urge students in their schools to consider NCSSM.
2. Alumni should be utilized more in the recruitment of students and teachers.
3. Efforts should be made to attract more minority and female students into higher level "topics" classes.
4. Exit interviews should be used extensively to find out why staff and faculty leave NCSSM and why some teachers reject employment offers at NCSSM. Similar techniques should be used to find out why some of the state's most talented juniors do not enroll at the school.
5. Although we recognize the legislative mandate for geographical diversity, the Research Triangle and its public and private colleges and universities should offer a unique and large pool of prospective faculty and students.