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Cluster hire proposals – Round 1 feedback for round 2

The following message was sent from Dean and Director Kate VandenBosch to CALS Department Chairs and Center Directors:

As you know, the call for the second round of cluster hire proposals was recently released. The deadline to submit proposals to the Office of the Provost is April 2, 2018 at 4 p.m. The information below is to provide guidance on the development of proposals for round two.

Seventeen proposals related to CALS were submitted in round one, and only one of these was selected.

In an effort to help you develop your proposals for round two, I would like to pass along some general feedback that I have received on round one. Please share this with individuals in your unit who are contemplating a new submission:

  1. Have a very specific diversity plan. Reviewers did not find generic “boiler plate” language to be compelling. Competitive proposals should specify how the cluster hires will add diversity to campus and should include a detailed plan to recruit a diverse pool of candidates.
  2. Describe the cluster hires’ role in instruction. While this is not outlined in the request for proposals, the relationship of the proposed cluster to academic programs was apparently considered by the reviewers. Therefore, it is recommended that proposals clearly explain the contribution and impact the cluster hires will have on academic programs and student learning.
  3. If there is a proposal similar to yours, consider combining two or more related proposals to create one stronger, more synergistic proposal. We believe that many of the proposals from round one in CALS will be re-submitted. Is there an opportunity to merge proposals?

We hope that this feedback helps in the development of your round two proposals. Please let us know if we can be of assistance in any way.