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The Equity Leadership Council (ELC) is established to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels of the University. The overarching goal of having a diverse University community is to better educate our students, faculty, and staff to be active, informed, productive participants in a diverse society and interdependent world. Comprised of members from across all academic and administrative support divisions of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the Equity Leadership Council serves as an advisory council to the Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer. Comprised of students, faculty, and staff from UAB enterprise, the ELC works to help UAB achieve its goals of promoting diversity and institutionalizing equity and inclusion as core values.

about elcUAB is a diverse community, people here bring with them not only their connections to social and ethnic groups but also their individual life experiences. From students to patients to faculty to support staff, ours is a rich and vibrant community.

But that diversity means little without equity and inclusion as the anchor of our shared experiences. We see equity and inclusion as an active, thoughtful, and ongoing engagement with each other. When inclusion works, we better understand the people around us, better understand the complex ways that individuals interact within systems and institutions, and ultimately we can do our best work.

At the University of Alabama at Birmingham, we are dedicated to the world of ideas and that world expands exponentially as those with different experiences and points of view share their knowledge and interpretations with one another. Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion reflect both a recognition of the past and the promise of the future, something owed to everyone in the UAB community.

The Council meets regularly during each academic year. Equity Advisors have a central role in raising awareness, promoting understanding, diversity education, and monitoring the faculty and staff search and other hiring processes, and consultation on matters of equity. Equity Advisors leverage their direct experience with local culture to advise their deans regarding strategy, policy, diversity education, climate, and accountability. Although Equity Advisors report directly to their deans and department administrators, they also work closely with and provide invaluable advice to the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

  • Duties and Responsibilities
    1. Serve as the liaison to the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
    2. Serve as a resource for faculty and staff recruitment for the dean or director and department chairs in the school or unit as a non-voting member, collect and maintain information on faculty and staff vacancies, including tenure decisions and promotions, review all recruitment advertisement before they are published, and certify that all recruitment policies and procedures have been followed for each recruitment activity by signing the Faculty and Staff Recruitment Experience Report.
    3. Collaborate with constituents of the University to revise/adopt recommendations of the strategic diversity plan, serve as a resource to foster knowledge and understanding of diversity-related issues concerning social justice, discrimination and bias, promote diversity in recruitment, hiring and retention of faculty, staff, and students, maintain data on climate issues.
    4. Collect and maintain information on recruitment and retention of faculty, staff and students. The Council will provide updates and an annual report to the University community on aspects of diversity progress (as noted in the Diversity Strategic Plan).
    5. Attend monthly meetings each semester.
    6. Actively participate on at least one DEI sub-committee.
    7. Infuse/engage DEI initiatives within respective areas.
    8. Promote DEI programs and initiatives by serving as an advocate.
    9. Solicit productive internal and external alliances to support and advance equity and inclusion at UAB.
  • By Laws

    Article I: Name

    The name of the group will be the University of Alabama at Birmingham Equity Leadership Council, hereinafter referred to as the ELC. Members shall be known as Equity Advisors.

    Article II: Mission

    The mission of the ELC is to promote diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels of the university through advising the Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, as well as identifying and disseminating best practices, in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion on campus.

    Article III: Meetings

    Meetings of the ELC will be held monthly. The representative or alternate from each area is expected to attend each meeting and serve on one or more standing committees.

    Article IV: Duties and Responsibilities

    1. Serve as an advisory council to the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
    2. Serve as a resource for recruitment and retention (faculty, staff and students).
    3. Collaborate with constituents of the University to revise/adopt recommendations of the strategic diversity plan, serve as a resource to foster knowledge and understanding of diversity-related issues concerning social justice, discrimination and bias, promote diversity in recruitment, hiring and retention of faculty, staff, and students, identify climate issues.
    4. Attend at least 75% of all monthly meetings in order to bring information to the ELC as well as disseminate information back to the respective units. Failure to meet this requirement will result in notification of the area Vice President, Dean or other nominating official.
    5. Infuse/engage DEI initiatives within respective areas.
    6. Promote DEI programs and initiatives by serving as an advocate.
    7. Solicit productive internal and external alliances to support and advance equity and inclusion at UAB.

    Article V: Membership

    Membership shall include one representative and an alternate from each academic school or college, library and administrative unit (VP level with more than fifty staff members). Members are named by the leaders of their respective areas and approved by the ELC. Attendance at meetings is required of either the representative or alternate. Areas of campus to have representation include:

    Academic:

    • College of Arts and Sciences
    • Collat School of Business
    • School of Dentistry
    • School of Engineering
    • School of Education
    • School of Health Professions
    • School of Medicine
    • School of Nursing
    • School of Optometry
    • School of Public Health
    • Honors College
    • Graduate School
    • UAB Libraries

    Administrative:

    • Athletics
    • Development and Alumni Relations
    • Financial Affairs and Administration
    • Information Technology
    • Provost
    • Student Affairs
    • VP of Research
    • UAB Health System
    • University Relations

    Ex Officio:

    • Faculty Senate
    • Staff Council
    • Graduate Student Government Association
    • Undergraduate Student Government Association
    • Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

    Article VI: Officers

    The officers of the ELC shall be Chair and Vice-Chair. The Chair is nominated by the Executive Committee and approved by the membership for a two-year term and is eligible to serve one subsequent two-year term. The Vice Chair is nominated by the Executive Committee and approved by the membership for a two-year term and is eligible to serve one subsequent two-year term. Officers of the ELC must be full-time regular employees.

    The duties of the officers shall be as follows:

    1. The Chair presides over meetings and appoints standing and ad hoc committees as deemed necessary.
    2. The Vice-Chair serves in the absence of the Chair.
    3. Immediate Past Chair serves at the pleasure of the Chair and offers continuity, support and advice where necessary.

    Article VII: Committees

    A. General Provisions

    1. All committees are responsible to the ELC.
    2. Members of the ELC shall serve on at least one standing committee. The term of office of members of all standing committees shall be 2 years unless otherwise designated. Members of all standing committees shall be eligible for consideration of appointment for an additional 2 year term. Exceptions will be made for student representatives as they graduate or leave their position. In the event that committee vacancies occur, a replacement shall be appointed by the chair of the ELC to complete the remaining term of office.
    3. The ELC Chair shall accept the standing committees’ recommendations for their chairs (and co-chair, if a committee so chooses), each of which will serve a term of two years.
    4. Policies related to committee functioning that are recommended by a standing committee will be taken directly to the ELC for the approval process before becoming effective.
    5. All standing committees shall integrate diversity initiatives into their respective committee work.
    6. Summaries of all standing committees meetings shall be submitted to the chair of the ELC.
    7. Ad hoc committees will meet as needed to accomplish their goals.

    B. Standing Committees

    1. Executive Committee: The Executive Committee, in coordination with the Office of the VP of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, shall manage the workings of the ELC, and shall include the ELC Chair, Vice-Chair and standing committee chairs. The Executive Committee shall meet prior to each meeting, as necessary, and at other times determined by the Chair. The Executive Committee may constitute ad hoc committees to address issues as needed.
    2. Campus Climate/Intergroup Relations: Identify issues that affect the campus environment and bring them to the attention of the ELC.
    3. Access and Success: Recruitment and Retention Identify best practices to support committees to expand candidate pools, eliminate bias, educate committees, and develop strategies and incentives to retain a diverse faculty, staff and students.
    4. Diversity Education and Training: Create a platform to gain a better appreciation for diversity, equity and inclusion.
    5. Community Engagement: Identify and suggest appropriate community engagement collaborations and partnerships that advance diversity, equity and inclusion.
    6. Communication: Identify strategies for communicating issues to and from constituent groups.

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