Keeping Our Faculty

Keeping Our Faculty Symposium

March 3-4, 2022 | Virtual 

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The 2022 Keeping Our Faculty (KOF) Symposium addressed one of the most critical challenges facing higher education – the recruitment, development, and retention of Faculty of Color and Indigenous Faculty. Keeping Our Faculty is one of the first national meetings focused on advancing faculty diversity in higher education.  

The COVID-19 pandemic and the U.S. racial justice crisis have further amplified higher education's challenges related to faculty diversity. In addition to topics historically related to keeping faculty of color and American Indian faculty, our theme for this year is Navigating Two Pandemics. Programming and presentations will address topics and issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased awareness of the racial disparities and biases that challenge efforts to keep our faculty of color and Indigenous faculty.

The 2022 KOF Symposium featured a keynote presentation and conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson, along with a Presidents’ Panel, networking events, and other acclaimed speakers. 

The 2022 Keeping Our Faculty Symposium was held virtually from March 3-4, 2022. 

This event was sponsored by the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management, College of Biological Sciences, College of Education and Human Development, College of Liberal Arts, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Medical School, the Graduate School, School of Dentistry, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota Crookston, University of Minnesota Duluth, and University of Minnesota Morris, University of Minnesota Rochester, as well as the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. 

The KOF Symposium was presented by the University of Minnesota Office for Equity and Diversity's Institute for Diversity, Equity, and Advocacy (IDEA).