The Reporter: June 1997, Vol.8, No.3
PERSONNEL NEWS
Affirmative Action Annual Report

Each year, the Health Sciences Affirmative Action Committee for the Faculties of Medicine and Dental and Oral Surgery submits an annual report that becomes part of the University's report to the federal government. The mandate of the committee is to review job search reports that Health Sciences units submit. The concern of the University's affirmative action program under the continuing federal mandate and oversight is to ensure that "appropriate affirmative action procedures have been followed in searching for and selecting nominees and that substantive reasons are given for setting aside the candidacies of those judged less qualified."

The annual report records a number of categories of instructional and research appointments and the numbers and percentages of men, women, and minority nominees. The figures in the most recent report reflect clearances processed in the year between October 1995 and September 1996.

During the year, the committee reviewed 512 requests for appointments to the faculty, a 37 percent decrease from the previous year. The major decrease was in reviews of postdoctoral fellows and junior officers of research. Although the absolute numbers of minority clearances decreased, their proportion increased to 42 percent of the nominations cleared, compared with 39 percent last year. The number of African-Americans and Hispanics nominated for positions was about the same as in 1994-95 but represented a greater percentage of positions filled: 22 percent in 1995-96 compared with 17 percent last year. The proportion of women nominated decreased to 38 percent from 45 percent the year before.