This fall, the Office of the Provost will offer a new series of STRIDE (Strategies and Tactics for Recruiting to Improve Diversity and Excellence) and STRIPE (Strategies and Tactics for Retention through Inclusive Promotion Evaluation) workshops for faculty members, librarians, and academic leaders.

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“The strength of UMass Amherst lies in the people who teach, mentor, discover and serve,” said Wilmore Webley, senior vice provost for equity and inclusion. “Through STRIDE and STRIPE, we are building a culture that recognizes excellence, expands opportunity, and supports faculty success at every stage of the academic journey. By investing in inclusive and evidence-based practices, we strengthen our ability to recruit and retain the talented scholars who will shape the future of our university and our society.”

The STRIDE workshop series, taking place from Sept. 18 through Dec. 3, prepares faculty and librarians who participate in search processes to conduct equitable, effective, and inclusive searches. Through facilitated discussions and evidence-based practices, participants learn strategies for building strong applicant pools, mitigating bias, and identifying outstanding candidates from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.

A complementary STRIPE workshop, created in collaboration with UMass ADVANCE and offered Nov. 12, focuses on faculty evaluation, promotion and retention. Designed for personnel committee members at the department, school, and college levels, the program explores approaches to fostering fair, consistent, and inclusive review processes while supporting the successful advancement of faculty members. Departments may also request STRIPE training for their full personnel committees.

Together, STRIDE and STRIPE reflect the university’s holistic approach to supporting faculty success across every stage of the academic career pathway. Grounded in research and informed by national best practices, the programs equip participants with practical tools to strengthen decision-making and create environments in which excellence can thrive.

Faculty recruitment remains one of the most important opportunities for shaping the future of the university. STRIDE helps search committee members develop effective outreach strategies, cultivate diverse applicant pools, and ensure equitable evaluation practices throughout the hiring process. Completion of STRIDE training is required for faculty members and librarians serving on search committees and is necessary for access to candidate files.

Building on these principles, STRIPE addresses the critical role that evaluation and promotion processes play in faculty retention and career advancement. Participants examine ways to recognize and reduce bias, evaluate contributions consistently, and support equitable pathways for professional growth using UMass specific data, demographics and relevant case studies.

All workshops are two hours long, held in the Campus Center, and facilitated by UMass Amherst faculty members who have been trained as STRIDE Faculty Fellows. Certification remains valid for three years before renewal is required. While STRIDE is mandatory for search committee participation, STRIPE is strongly encouraged for those involved in personnel decisions, including promotion and tenure reviews.

Faculty members, librarians, and academic units are encouraged to participate in these opportunities to advance inclusive excellence and help foster a thriving scholarly community at UMass Amherst.

For workshop schedules, registration information, and additional resources, visit the Office of the Provost’s Faculty Diversity website or contact [email protected].