FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 26, 2019
CONTACT: Erin Burns, Higher Education Recruitment Consortium
510-519-4393, erin@hercjobs.org
TUSCALOOSA, AL – The University of Alabama leads the expansion of the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) into the state of Alabama. HERC is a national organization dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the higher education workforce.
The Southeastern HERC will benefit both job seekers and colleges, universities, and related institutions. Job seekers will gain access to a robust job board, hosting over 35,000 career opportunities, as well as expert career advice. Institutional members across the state will join a growing regional network of institutions committed to creating inclusive workplaces, and benefit from deeper collaboration and resource sharing.
One of The University of Alabama’s strategic goals is to enrich its learning and work environment by providing an accepting, inclusive community that attracts and supports a diverse faculty, staff, and student body. “Pipeline issues are often cited as a key impediment to diversifying the higher education workforce. HERC provides campuses with critical tools to build candidate pools that are more robust and diverse, one of the first steps required when seeking to increase the diversity of the workforce. Simultaneously, HERC will provide potential candidates with a high-tech point of access to the myriad of opportunities within the network, as well as candidate support. This model is a win-win!” said Dr. Christine Taylor, The University of Alabama’s Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
“HERC will help the university achieve a key goal—recruit and retain diverse faculty and staff. I am excited about being a part of the HERC family,” added Matthew M. Fajack, Vice President for the Division of Finance and Operations and Treasurer for The University of Alabama.
“We applaud The University of Alabama for leading the state in this new initiative. The university’s involvement will benefit the state as a whole—its workforce, its students, and its institutions of higher education—by creating more equitable, engaging, and inclusive academic workplaces,” said Ian Reynolds, HERC’s Executive Director.
The University of Alabama will merge with an existing HERC region in Tennessee, housed at Vanderbilt University, to form the newly-named Southeastern HERC. HERC has 19 regions throughout the United States.
ABOUT THE HIGHER EDUCATION RECRUITMENT CONSORTIUM: The Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) catalyzes inclusive excellence in the academic workforce. HERC diversifies the pipeline of faculty, staff, and executives in academia through outreach, advertising, and by sharing over 35,000 job opportunities and expert career advice. HERC also provides over 700 member institutions with resources and networks to bolster equitable, inclusive recruitment and retention practices.