Search Advocate Program

Global Diversity & Inclusion, Human Resources and Academic Affairs are pleased to present the Search Advocate Program to our campus community. We have heard your requests and we need your engagement.

Search Advocates are volunteer PSU faculty, staff, and administrators who are trained as search and selection process advisors, partners and consultants. Their preparation includes a 16-hour workshop series that deepens their understanding of the structural and cognitive biases and the barriers to inclusive search processes and equitable hiring, teaches inclusive recruiting, search and selection principles and offers practical strategies for each stage of the search process, and effective ways to be an advocate on a search committee.

Search advocates are not a part of their departments, allowing for a more objective lens and empowering the advocate to speak up with less concern about consequences.

Request a Search Advocate

The Search Advocate Program provides a trained search advocate to guide the search committee in their inclusive hiring processes. Search advocates serve on search committees from outside of their departments, as non-voting members.

Each Search Advocate is a partner/consultant/participant who advances inclusive excellence by asking questions to help committee members test their thinking, identifying and promoting practices that advance diversity and social justice, and minimizing the impacts of cognitive and structural biases. In partnership with the search chair, search committee members, and hiring manager, the search advocate affirms PSU’s commitment to racial equity and inclusive excellence

If you would like to request a search advocate to participate in your search committee please contact the Search Advocacy Coordinator using the link below. Please ensure that requests for an advocate are made prior to forming your search committee.

Request an Advocate

For questions, please contact PSU Search Advocacy Coordinator, Patrick Villaflores.