Requires campus diversity actions at public institutions of higher education and directs Secretary of Higher Education and Division on Civil Rights to develop guidance regarding diversity in faculty search and selection process.

A4090

ASSEMBLY, No. 4090

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� ANNETTE QUIJANO

District 20 (Union)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires campus diversity actions at public
institutions of higher education and directs Secretary of Higher Education and
Division on Civil Rights to develop guidance regarding diversity in faculty
search and selection process.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning diversity at public institutions of
higher education and supplementing chapter 62 of Title 18A of the New Jersey
Statutes.�

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� A public institution
of higher education shall develop a faculty and student diversity plan.
The diversity plan shall establish clear and specific goals for increasing the
recruitment and retention of diverse faculty, staff, and students for each academic
program at the institution. The plan shall:

���� (1)�� establish diversity
goals for increasing the recruitment and retention of students, faculty, and
staff who represent diverse backgrounds that, in the case of a county college,
are representative of the demographics of the county in which the college is located
and, in the case of a four-year public institution of higher education, are
representative of the demographics of the State;

���� (2)�� identify steps to
achieve the diversity goals established by the institution under the plan;

���� (3)�� identify metrics to be
used by the institution when monitoring progress towards meeting the
diversity goals;

���� (4)�� outline programming that
will improve and enhance the campus climate for a diverse faculty and student
body; and

���� (5)�� address student learning
to ensure that all students acquire the knowledge, experience, and cultural
competencies necessary to succeed in the workforce.

���� b.��� The institution shall
update the diversity strategic plan every three years, and as needed.

���� 2.��� a.� A public institution
of higher education shall annually develop and submit to the Secretary of
Higher Education a student diversity report.� The student diversity report
shall include, for each academic degree program at the institution:

���� (1)�� the new enrollment
rates, the third semester retention rates; the graduation rates; and the
professional certification rates of recent graduates, for each academic program
of the institution. This information shall be further broken down by race,
ethnicity, and gender; and

���� (2)�� a description of any
targeted programs, services, or supports offered by the institution to support
the successful education of students who represent diverse
backgrounds.

���� �b.�� The Secretary of Higher
Education shall prepare an annual report containing a compilation of the data
collected pursuant to subsection a. of this section. The secretary shall submit
the report
to the Governor, and to the
Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1),
by
November 15th of each year.

���� 3.��� The governing board of a
public institution of higher education shall assign a new or existing employee
to serve as a staff diversity ambassador for each school and college of the
institution.� Each staff diversity ambassador shall ensure the implementation
of the diversity strategic plan established pursuant to section 1 of this act
and shall report directly to the president of the institution.� The president
shall deliver an annual written report on the implementation of the diversity
strategic plan, which shall be prepared by the staff diversity ambassador or
ambassadors, to the governing board of the institution.

���� 4.��� a.� A public institution
of higher education shall provide annual diversity training to all faculty,
staff, and students who may serve on a faculty search committee.� The training
shall set forth a
list of specific
interventions for addressing unconscious bias in the context of faculty
recruitment.� The interventions shall be grounded in research and shall
include, but need not be limited to:

���� (1)�� strategies
to recruit an excellent and diverse pool of applicants;

���� (2)�� discussion
that raises awareness of unconscious assumptions and their influence on the
evaluation of applicants; and

���� (3)�� strategies
to ensure a fair and thorough review of applicants through the establishment of
uniform academic criteria, evaluation templates, and interview questions to be
used for evaluating candidates.

���� �b.�� The institution shall
require its faculty search committees to increase the number of candidates
considered for faculty positions who are members of underrepresented racial and
ethnic groups by such measures as are established by that institution�s governing
board.� The institution shall report annually
to
the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164
(C.52:14-19.1), on its efforts.�

���� 5.��� a.� The Secretary of
Higher Education, in collaboration with the Director of the Division on Civil
Rights in the Department of Law and Public Safety,

shall
develop guidance for public institutions of higher education concerning the
faculty search and selection process, in alignment with recommendations put
forth in the 2020 report of the New Jersey Interagency Task Force to Combat
Youth Bias.� The purpose of the guidance shall be to assist institutions in
identifying, recruiting, and retaining diverse faculty.

���� b.��� The guidance developed
by the secretary shall include, but not be limited to, information on best
practices at each stage of the recruiting and hiring process such as: having an
approved recruitment search plan; writing broad, inclusive, and gender free position
descriptions and job advertisements; engaging in continual networking at
professional conferences, especially those where women and minorities are
prominently represented; being vigilant for future talent; and providing dual
career resources for a spouse or significant other.� The guidance shall also
address best practices for creating a vibrant, inclusive community on campus
that ensures the continued growth and opportunities needed to retain a diverse
faculty.�

���� 6.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.�

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires each public
institution of higher education to develop a faculty and student diversity
plan. The diversity plan will establish clear and specific goals for
increasing the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty, staff, and
students for each academic program at the institution. The plan is
required to:

���� (1)�� establish diversity
goals for increasing the recruitment and retention of students, faculty, and
staff who represent diverse backgrounds;

���� (2)�� identify steps to
achieve the diversity goals established by the institution under the plan;

���� (3)�� identify metrics to be
used by the institution when monitoring progress towards meeting the
diversity goals;

���� (4)�� outline programming that
will improve and enhance the campus climate for a diverse faculty and student
body; and

���� (5)�� address student learning
to ensure that all students acquire the knowledge, experience, and cultural
competencies necessary to succeed in the workforce.

���� The bill requires the institution
to update the diversity strategic plan every three years, and as needed.

���� Under the bill, a public
institution of higher education is required to annually develop and submit to
the Secretary of Higher Education a student diversity report.� The student
diversity report will include, for each academic degree program at the
institution:

���� (1)�� the new enrollment
rates, the third semester retention rates; the graduation rates; and the
professional certification rates of recent graduates, for each academic program
of the institution and broken down by race, ethnicity, and gender; and

���� (2)�� a description of any
targeted programs, services, or supports offered by the institution to support
the successful education of students who represent diverse
backgrounds.

���� The bill directs the Secretary
of Higher Education to prepare an annual report containing a compilation of the
data collected pursuant to the bill�s provisions, and to submit the report to
the Governor and the
Legislature.

���� The bill requires the
governing board of a public institution of higher education to assign a new or
existing employee to serve as a staff diversity ambassador for each school and
college of the institution.� Each staff diversity ambassador is directed to ensure
the implementation of the diversity strategic plan and will report directly to
the president of the institution.� The president is required to deliver an
annual written report on the implementation of the diversity strategic plan to
the governing board of the institution.

���� The bill further directs a public
institution of higher education to:

�

provide
annual diversity training to all faculty, staff, and students who may serve on
a faculty search committee; and

�

require
its faculty search committees to increase the number of candidates considered
for faculty positions who are members of underrepresented racial and ethnic
groups by such measures as are established by that institution�s governing
board.�

���� Finally, the bill directs the Secretary
of Higher Education, in collaboration with the Director of the Division on
Civil Rights in the Department of Law and Public Safety

�to develop
guidance for public institutions of higher education concerning the faculty
search and selection process, in alignment with recommendations put forth in
the 2020 report of the New Jersey Interagency Task Force to Combat Youth Bias.�
The purpose of the guidance shall be to assist institutions in identifying,
recruiting, and retaining diverse faculty.