DEI in Faculty Merit Evaluation

The Boulder Faculty Assembly have passed several resolutions between 2020 and 2023 years that endorse the inclusion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work in faculty merit evaluations. 

The first resolution, BFA-R-1-081020, which supported changes to Faculty Report of Professional Activities (FRPA), was passed by the Boulder Faculty Assembly in September of 2020. At that time FRPA only allowed faculty to include DEI work in a subcategory of teaching. The 2020 BFA resolution recommended that campus recognize DEI efforts in all categories (teaching, service, and research).

In the fall of 2021, a BFA subcommittee on annual faculty merit review processes was formed and introduced an additional resolution, BFA-R-1-101821 recommending that all campus units review methods to recognize DEI work in annual faculty merit reviews.  

The Office of Faculty Affairs supported these changes and in conjunction with the Faculty Information System Office and the Office of Data Analytics, piloted a DEI module in the service category for the 2021 FRPA. The prototype proved successful and beginning with the 2022 FRPA a new code was introduced - 210: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Activity Summary. This FIS web page describes code 210 as follows: 

"This activity summary aims to minimize the duplication of activity descriptions that faculty noted as unnecessarily repetitive. Your DEI Activity Summary should be a narrative explaining how the DEI work completed relates to teaching, research, scholarship, creative work, and service." 

In order to assist units in implementing this aspect of faculty merit recognition, the BFA Diversity Committee assembled a document of guidelines, recommended practices, and resources in a third resolution: Recommended Guidelines for Incorporating DEI Work in Annual Faculty Merit Evaluations BFA-R-1-02.28.22 which was approved by the BFA on April 7, 2022. The document is intended to help faculty and their units begin important conversations about their merit review practices and their disciplines. The intention of this document is that it become a "living" document on the BFA website to be revised and updated on an ongoing basis. If you have additional suggestions in any of these areas, please let us know.

The three areas covered in the resolution are broken out separately here:


    In addition, the BFA Chair and the Chair of the BFA Diversity Committee are offering to attend a department meeting in order to walk through the resources document, to discuss DEI and the merit review process, and to assist faculty in identifying the unique ways that the work of expanding their methodologies and communities may relate to their discipline. For questions or feedback, please contact the BFA Chair, Shelly Miller and/or the Diversity Committee Chair or to schedule a department visit, please contact the BFA: bfa@colorado.edu

    How do we define diversity?

    Any acts that can be construed as threats or incitements to violence are unacceptable and counter to the ethos of diversity, equity and inclusion that orients student life at CU. The incitement to violence against protected classes is especially indefensible due to social power differentials and histories of structural violence that that have marginalized many of these groups. The BFA Diversity Committee February, 2023

    Diversity and diverse are here meant to include but are not limited to cultural differences, race/ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, (dis)ability, creed, religious or spiritual beliefs, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, class, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, political affiliation, or political philosophy. 

    CU Boulder Discrimination & Harassment Policy

    CU Boulder IDEA Plan

    BFA resolutions regarding diversity, equity and inclusion in faculty merit review processes