I am applying for assistant professor positions in the U.S. and Canada, and I often have to fill in forms of voluntary self-identification disclosing my gender, race, veteran status, disabilities etc. I usually do that, even though I am not certain whether and how this information could affect my prospects of getting the job.
However, recently I have been asked to a fill in a form and choose whether I make this information available to the hiring committee:
Please indicate whether you
- DO NOT wish to self-identify (in which case we request that you make no indications in Sections A through D below and simply return the form with your name and the date only);
- Wish to self-identify FOR STATISTICAL PURPOSES ONLY (in which case the information you provide below will be used only by the Equity Office and will not be shared with the Appointments Committee of the Unit to which you are applying); OR
- Wish to self-identify FOR THE APPOINTMENTS PROCESS AND FOR STATISTICAL PURPOSES (in which case the information you provide below may also be used in the Appointments process, in accordance with Article 24 of the Collective Agreement)
(boldface emphasis is mine).
What should I do to increase my chances of getting the job and avoid standing out in a bad way?
I guess that by choosing to make the information available,
- a Male, Caucasian, Non-disabled person might lose an edge due to preference towards minority candidates; while
- a Female, Black, Disabled person could gain an edge?
But it could also go the other way around if the hiring committee has preferences that do not quite align with the official policy of supporting minorities etc.
Two somewhat related but different questions are