About the Faculty Ambassadors Program

The College of Science and Engineering (CSE) is committed to creating a welcoming environment for our students, staff, and faculty. To support a diverse community, the college helps maintain and strengthen a supportive network of people across the college. The CSE Community Ambassador program, which includes the Faculty Ambassador and Student Ambassador programs, is intended to facilitate this by identifying ambassadors in each department to help carry out the CSE mission of nurturing a supportive culture. 

Charge

The charge of the CSE Faculty Ambassador program is twofold: to serve as a support network for faculty engaged in Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) work, and to serve as a resource for the CSE community. The cohort of faculty ambassadors work together as a retention, support, and communication system for faculty engaged in ADEI work. They listen to questions, concerns, and ideas related to ADEI issues from all members of the CSE community: students, staff, and faculty. Faculty ambassadors can help community members get connected to appropriate resources to support their needs and may be available for consulting or advising of others who do work to implement positive change at WWU. As time and interest allow, faculty ambassadors can support, continue, and create ADEI initiatives in their departments, CSE, and WWU. This may include, but is not limited to, being a contact for student-led events and activities, advising on ADEI collaborations, and facilitating discussions on equitable change in their own departments.

What will faculty ambassadors do?

The faculty ambassador position is for one year with the possibility of re-appointment. To build a larger network of support for ADEI work, each faculty ambassador will meet quarterly with the cohort of faculty ambassadors and associate dean. An orientation led by the CSE Associate Dean at the beginning of fall quarter will include action planning, cohort introductions, and guidance for the academic year. Faculty ambassadors are asked to pick one project or initiative related to ADEI topics. Feedback from departments and students will be shared at the orientation to help faculty ambassadors determine how to best support their department. Each faculty ambassador’s action plan will be evaluated and confirmed with the Associate Dean and Departmental Chair. Each faculty ambassador will hold at least one Community Hour per week within their department. Direct communication with the Department Chair is also required, but the regularity of this communication will be decided between the faculty ambassador and chair.

The list below includes some of the ongoing activities or initiatives and ideas with which potential faculty ambassadors can engage. The primary role of a faculty ambassador is to serve as an information hub for resources and programs related to ADEI within their department.

• Faculty Mentoring Assessment/Implementation
• Student Event Support/Advising/Mentoring/Clubs/Climate Assessments/Feedback
• Outreach Efforts
• Speaker Series
• Workshops/Journal Clubs
• Scholarly Research
• Collecting Best practices

Who is eligible?

Faculty (T, TT & NTT) with training in inclusion and equity are eligible for a year-long position. This is not a primarily professional development program. Ideal candidates will be faculty well-trained and already engaged in inclusion and equity within their department or college and who can provide support immediately.

Faculty interested in a future faculty ambassador position can build expertise in ADEI through many opportunities on and off campus, self-study of literature focused on STEM experiences, and self-reflection of one’s own identity. We encourage faculty to explore opportunities within their own professional organizations, as well as other on- and off-campus professional development opportunities. Other online resources to enhance one’s awareness and empathy are SACNAS (Society for the Advancement for Chicanos and Native Americans in Science), the Southern Poverty Law Center, Harvard Implicit Bias Test, and Scene on Radio Podcast - Seeing White series.

Service & Compensation

For tenure and tenure-track faculty, this position counts as service, with the level of service determined by the extent of work agreed upon by the Department Chair and Dean. Non-tenure track faculty are eligible, but compensation must be arranged in advance and depends on availability of funds.

Selection Process

Department Chairs will solicit applications for a vacant faculty ambassador position in their department.  The Department Chair and Associate Dean will review and recommend a faculty ambassador, and if needed, will seek additional input from the CSE ADEI Committee. Candidates will be evaluated on the level of professional and personal development and experience in ADEI-focused issues, planning and communication skills, and demonstrated commitment to the role of the position. The final decision will be made by the Dean of CSE, after which applicants will be notified.