Texas Tech reviews its hiring practices as efforts to promote diversity come under fire

The Texas Tech seal sits near the intersection of University Avenue and Broadway Street on the Texas Tech University campus on July 8, 2020. (Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune)

Texas Tech University officials say they are reviewing their hiring processes after a conservative education advocacy group criticized how the university’s biology department rates job candidates’ commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

According to documents obtained by the National Association of Scholars via an open records request and posted online Monday, Texas Tech’s biology department used a rubric to evaluate finalists’ track record, understanding and plans to improve DEI on campus, along with other qualifications such as research quality, teaching experience and letters of recommendation.