PVCC Challenges the “Diversity Question”
Status Quo in Hiring

At PVCC we are beginning to see that defining the term diversity can become a pitfall to not addressing the topic at all. One way we discovered this quandary was by analyzing the diversity question we used in many if not all of our interview sessions for new staff and faculty which asked interviewees to define diversity.

Each time the "diversity question" was asked, one could not help but feel that it was missing something. Most of the candidates could state that diversity includes everyone. It rather begged the question as to why we even asked.

What we began to ask ourselves instead is how and why we feel it necessary to include everyone? We knew from the research and from many of our own experiences that the coming together of diverse people, thoughts, cultures, ideas, and abilities, when focused on a shared goal/mission produced an outcome of greater quality and excellence. We only had to look back to our reaccreditation self-study report as a concrete example.

Therefore, we recognized that the noun is everyone and the verb is include. PVCC's core value is learning. This is our strategic platform. So, what we are trying to get at by asking a "diversity" question is, how does diversity and inclusion support, enrich, enhance, perpetuate, enable quality student learning. This is why we developed a revised interview question that explores an applicant’s understanding of how bringing diversity and differences together can equal deep learning…can equal excellence!

Please contact Ken Clarke, diversity coordinator for PVCC or Laurel Smith, Manager, College Employee Services at PVCC for more information regarding their diversity related interview questions.