Critical Needs Hiring Program (CNHP)
Introduction
As a global leader in higher education, promoting equity and democracy is integral to the 缅北禁地鈥檚 core mission and the campus鈥 strategic imperatives of shaping tomorrow鈥檚 leaders, being the top university for innovation, and positively impacting humanity.1
A diverse faculty is inherent to the overall excellence of our university.2 Faculty play the primary role in scholarly and creative work and teaching, doing outreach, and improving the academic reputation of the university. In accordance with this and in order to implement the recommendations embodied in the IDEA Plan鈥檚 Action Area #2: Learn and Lead Effective Efforts to Attract and Retain a More Diverse Faculty and Staff, the Provost鈥檚 Office, in collaboration with the schools and colleges and the Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA), encourage recruiting faculty who meet critical needs (CN) in research and teaching across campus.
In 2023, the deans of the schools and colleges expressed the desire to revise the program so that it would provide the schools and colleges with more autonomy and flexibility in meeting the goals of the FDAP, and more opportunities for cluster hires.
In February of 2025, the chancellor stipulated that the campus could complete the hiring cycle for approved 2025 CNHP position allocations with additional review. Out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the program remains in full compliance with state, federal, and regent law, the chancellor will commission a third-party legal review that will be completed before the 2025-26 hiring cycle begins.听
This webpage is intended to provide guidance to the deans and units about how to implement the critical needs hiring program (CNHP).
1 See .
2 Piercy, et al., UU Health (2015) p. 3; E. Robertson, The epistemic value of diversity, Journal of Philosophy of Education 47 (2) (2013).
3 Members of search committees and all evaluators are expected to follow campus guidance on searches and hires, and work to eliminate barriers to equitable access to faculty positions.
Additional Information
The CNHP鈥檚 guiding principles and commitments are derived from Regent Laws and Policies governing the University of Colorado community, establishing that diversity, equity, and inclusion; nondiscrimination; and academic freedom are co-existent guiding principles and fundamental values.
Specifically, provides that:
consistent with the legal obligations and responsibilities of the University of Colorado community, the university will ensure policies, programs, procedures, and practices promote a continuing commitment to building a community of faculty, students, and staff in which diversity is a fundamental value. Such policies, programs, and procedures will also serve to ensure the rich interchange of ideas in the pursuit of truth and learning, including diversity听of political, geographic, cultural, intellectual, and philosophical perspectives.
In , the University of Colorado Board of Regents 鈥渞eaffirmed its absolute commitment to the promotion of diversity in the university community and insists that no individual or group shall be marginalized or systemically excluded. 鈥 The definition of 鈥渄iversity鈥 from Regent Policy 10A recognizes a broad range of individual differences and does not create preferences for particular types of diversity, referring to 鈥渄iversity鈥 as 鈥渢he representation of our university community members who hold individual differences such as life experiences, and group/social differences such as race and ethnicity or class, protected identities as recognized in regent law, as well as cultural, political, geographical, religious, or other affiliations.鈥
In addressing the conduct of the members of the university community, provides that, 鈥淭he University of Colorado does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, marital status, political affiliation, or political philosophy in admission and access to, and treatment and employment in, its educational programs and activities.鈥
establishes associated rights of faculty academic freedom providing, 鈥淸t]he best method for advancing the state of knowledge is engaging with the broadest range of theories, methodologies, data, and conflicting opinions鈥 and requires that, 鈥淸t]he appointment, reappointment, promotion of all faculty, and award of tenure to tenure-track faculty, shall not be awarded or denied based on extrinsic considerations such as a faculty member鈥檚 expression of political, social, or religious views.鈥
These concepts and others are incorporated within the Academic Affairs website devoted to academic freedom.
Over the next three years, funding for the CNHP will provide ~$1M in salary + benefits to be allocated across 32 centrally funded faculty positions (up to $100K in salary + benefits per position). During the same period, to foster ownership of and commitment to the CNHP across all academic units, the schools and colleges are required to fund 48 critical needs faculty positions, pooled across all units, to be completed by FY 2027.
Deans may determine how best to meet their CN hiring objectives (e.g., two or more deans may 鈥榯rade鈥 their assigned CN allocations to adjust timing or meet cluster hiring objectives), in alignment with the guiding principles above. To support the new faculty members, units agree to pay for all faculty hired through the CNHP to participate in the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD)'s Faculty Success Program if they would like to.
Annually, every unit shall tender a detailed recruitment, mentoring, and retention plan to the Office of Faculty Affairs for CN positions in conjunction with the Recruitment Authorization Form (RAF) submitted to the Office of the Provost (CN centrally funded positions should indicate this on the RAF). In addition, CN positions will be included in the annual recruitment and search status reports submitted to the Office of the Provost.
Based on a consideration of current faculty sizes, credit hour generation, and enrollments in each school and college, the proposed allocation of CN positions to each school and college is as follows:
听 | FY24 | FY25 | FY26 | Allocation |
---|---|---|---|---|
A&S | 3 | 3 | 8 | 14 |
CEAS | 4 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
CMCI# | 听 | 2 | 听 | 2 |
Leeds | 2 | 听 | 听 | 2 |
Law | 听 | 听 | 1 | 1 |
Music | 听 | 1 | 听 | 1 |
Education | 听 | 1 | 听 | 1 |
Libraries | 1 | 听 | 听 | 1 |
RIO/Institutes | 1 | 1 | 听 | 2 |
TOTAL | 11 | 11 | 10 | 32 |
# Allocation estimate assumes a CMCI + ENVD aggregation
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The CNHP will continue the funding s