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When Valarie Stanley started at Yale University Press in 1974, her HR specialist began talking to her about Yale’s retirement program.

"I remember thinking to myself, 'Was she crazy? Retire from this place?'" Stanley said. "That was totally not my plan."

Stanley did eventually leave Yale – nearly a half-century later. Her last day on the New Haven, Conn. campus was Dec. 31, 2021.

Early Lesson

Stanley did only stay at Yale University Press for 10 months, but she soon transferred to the Provost Office and stayed at the school in various roles for the rest of her career.

Her first major project was preparing the school’s first affirmative action plan. Stanley and three colleagues worked for 10 straight days typing out the plan on carbon paper and handing it to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. They never heard back.

The experience served as Stanley’s introduction to higher ed bureaucracy, but it also sparked an interest in working in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion space.

"I’m a Black female so I fall into a couple of those buckets myself," Stanley said. "I had no actual intention of either working in higher ed or being in this kind of work, but I fell into it and it became my passion."

Making Improvements

Stanley has seen many positive changes during her time as the Director of Equal Opportunity Programs and the Senior Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Faculty and Staff. For starters, she said the school goes beyond the letter of the law and tries to follow the spirit of the law when it comes to providing workplace accommodations, whether it’s helping a victim of discrimination or making it possible for someone with a temporary disability to come back to work.

"If someone brings a complaint, for instance, that might not legally meet the threshold of harassment, that doesn't mean we're not going to help them to try to make the environment better, because ultimately that's the goal," Stanley said.

And it’s the individuals she’s been able to assist that she will cherish the most during her time at Yale, and why she was never tempted to leave for the dog-eat-dog mentality of the corporate world.

Breaking In and Staying

Nowadays, Stanley suggests applicants should set their goals a little lower just to get their feet in the door, especially at a competitive institution like Yale. From there, being an internal candidate may give them an advantage as better positions come open.

As for her staying power, Stanley recommends proactively finding a mentor. The least effective mentors, in her experience, are set up by a third party. A better method is to find someone who is doing the kind of work you’re interested in, and reaching out to that person and ask if they’re willing to be a mentor.

She also enjoyed the camaraderie of the talented and dedicated people she met through her work at HERC, and the ability to bounce ideas off of colleagues at other schools.

Parting Words

Stanley has been recruited plenty of times, but never really considered leaving.

"Sometimes I’ll run into someone that I haven't seen for a number of years and the first question is always, 'Are you still at Yale?'" Stanley said. "There's no place else that I would rather be. There have been people who've left Yale both on the staff side and on the faculty side and come back, which also speaks volumes. The grass always looks greener on the other side until you get there."

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About the Author: Harold Gutmann is the director of brand and marketing strategy at Santa Clara University. He is a longtime writer and editor who is proud to work in higher education, and encourages all job seekers to consider it.





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