Keeping our Faculties:
Addressing the Recruitment and Retention
of Faculty of Color in Higher Education
Symposium held October 18-20,
1998
Executive Summary
by Caroline Sotello Viernes Turner*,
Symposium Coordinator
Office of the Associate Vice President
for Multicultural and Academic Affairs
and
Department of Educational Policy and
Administration
University of Minnesota
I. INTRODUCTION
The recruitment and retention of faculty
of color remains one of the most difficult
challenges facing American higher education.
Research findings--whether qualitative
or quantitative, whether numerical or
narrative--demonstrate that American
Indian, African American, Latino, and
Asian Pacific American faculty comprise,
at most, 10% of the faculty, and many
describe experiences of racial and ethnic
bias in the workplace. Research findings
suggest that there is a need to focus
on changing the higher education workplace
environment to further embrace the value
of a racial and ethnically diverse professoriate
in order to sustain the viability, vitality,
and growth of our institutions in an
ever-changing social environment.
Despite present legal challenges, which
must be considered in addressing problems
within the workplace environment, a
proactive stance toward solutions and
strategies is crucial. On October 18-20,
1998, over 300 faculty, administrators,
and students from 36 states participated
in a national symposium entitled "Keeping
Our Faculties: Addressing the Recruitment
and Retention of Faculty of Color in
Higher Education." The symposium
was sponsored by the University of Minnesota
and the Minnesota State Colleges and
Universities.
The Keeping Our Faculties Symposium
provided an arena for stimulating dialogue
among scholars, practitioners, and policy
makers aimed at generating useful strategies
for increasing faculty diversity on
college and university campuses. This
executive summary distills information
from the presentations of several symposium
speakers with particular focus on their
recommendations. Ideas emerged from
the scholarly work and practical experience
of the 15 plenary speakers and from
the 28 concurrent session presenters.
Not only are presenter remarks on barriers
and strategies highlighted in this document,
but results from symposium attendees
participating in small group discussion
tables and in an interactive keypad
technology session will be presented.
More information on the symposium is
available in the symposium proceedings.
II. SYMPOSIUM GOALS
1. Address the issues of recruitment,
retention, and development of ethnic
and racial minority faculty
2. Develop creative and workable strategies
for addressing these issues.
3. Share implementable solutions based
on research and practical experience.
III. SYMPOSIUM FINDINGS
-- PLENARY AND CONCURRENT SESSIONS
A. BARRIERS
Recognizing and Getting Beyond
the Myths
Many symposium participants stressed
that one of the most prevalent barriers
to progress toward a representative
faculty was recognizing and getting
beyond myths. Myths act as barriers
to progress in hiring and promoting
faculty of color. As we learn more about
these misperceptions, informing others
is one of our important tasks. Continuing
to unveil such myths is another way
to facilitate the hiring and promotion
of faculty of color. Examples of studies
presented at the symposium which unveil
labor market myths, model minority,
and other myths are briefly described
here.
1) Labor Market Myths
This body of myths include: institutions
cannot compete for doctorates of color
who are sought after and offered high
salaries; there are no qualified candidates
for our faculty position; faculty of
color would not want to come to our
campus; faculty of color will leave
for more money and prestige; recruiting
faculty of color takes away opportunities
for potential white faculty.
In Achieving Faculty Diversity:
Debunking the Myths (1996), Daryl
Smith examines the labor market experience
of scholars funded by the Ford, Mellon,
and Spencer Foundations. She and her
colleagues found that only 11% of the
scholars of color within the sample
of approximately 300 recipients interviewed
were "sought after" by institutions
of higher education. Other findings
emerging from this study include: 1)
scientists of color were found in post-doctoral
positions and were not being pursued
for faculty positions; 2) scholars wanted
to work in a wide range of institutional
types, although the myth is that they
only want to work at prestigious institutions;
3) when faculty of color moved, reasons
often focused on unresolved issues with
the institution rather than monetary
incentives; 4) choices to leave academe
were as often a function of the problems
with academe as irresistible temptations
outside of academe; 5) European-American
scholars who were in this study were
highly successful in finding faculty
positions, dispelling the myth that
campuses were only recruiting faculty
of color.
In his presentation, Samuel L. Myers,
Jr. points out that the myth of the
revolving door. His study, conducted
in the Midwest, suggests that minority
faculty may leave their institutions
at similar rates when compared to white
faculty. The problem is that they are
not being hired at the same rate as
white faculty.
2) The Model Minority Myth
Shirley Hune and Kenyon Chan (1997)
point to a myriad of myths surrounding
the "success" of the Asian
Pacific American (APA) in academe. They
point out that lumping Asian Pacific
Americans under one category tends to
mask inequities experienced by many
in this community. They find low tenure
rates, a concentration in non-tenure
track positions, and low numbers of
Asian Pacific Americans in administration.
They report that APA faculty salaries
are "generally lower than those
of their white counterparts, even when
rank and college affiliation are taken
into consideration." They also
remind us to look at the gender gap
for faculty of color by noting that
APA women are primarily in the junior
faculty ranks while men are primarily
in the senior faculty ranks.
3) The Diversity is Only for Minorities
Myth
Everyone Benefits
Jonathan Alger (1998) and others stressed
that diversity is not a minority issue,
but an issue that should be of concern
to everybody and everyone can benefit
from it. For example, Alger stresses
that exposure to similarities across
racial lines, and differences within
racial groups, can overcome learned
stereotypes and prejudices.
Corporate Needs and Institutional Viability
In her presentation, Mildred Garcia
points to the importance of meeting
corporate needs as another rationale
to support racial and ethnic diversity
in higher education. She states that
major companies in the corporate world
have discovered that diversity is vital
to their existence. If the higher education
enterprise is to continue to contribute
to the world of work, diversity then
is an important component. In fact,
as discussed by Daryl Smith, the viability
of higher education may depend on its
ability to meet such needs in the twenty-first
century.
4) The Level Playing Field Myth
Countless studies document the added
pressures placed on a faculty member
of color in a predominantly white environment.
Several presenters addressed the high
expectations of faculty of color to
address minority concerns for their
institutions and the stresses of being
an "only" on a faculty. Francis
Rains, Gloria Cuadraz, Wayne Stein,
and Melanie Peterson-Hickey address
issues such as biased student evaluations,
differential role expectations, and
the impact of value conflicts for faculty
of color. Sheila Ards examines the effect
of race on the tenure and promotion
rates for African American faculty.
B. STRATEGIES
In addition to dispelling myths such
as those described above, several strategies
to address the recruitment and retention
of faculty of color were suggested by
symposium presenters. As one symposium
participant notes: "A lot of time
is spent on racial and ethnic bias.
That's an institutional problem."
Present interventions or strategies
to address the underrepresentation of
faculty of color appear to emphasize
the molding of people of color to fit
the institution. While such strategies
as faculty development workshops as
well as fellowship programs at the doctoral
and post doctoral level must not be
abandoned, symposium presenters also
emphasized strategies for institutional
change. Strategies will be briefly highlighted
here.
1) Incorporate Diversity as A Core
Value and The Importance of Commitment
From All Levels
Recruitment and retention of faculty
of color must be implemented as a core
value of the institution, not something
at the margins. Commitment from all
levels of institutional administration
and faculty governance is crucial in
leading this effort. Josephine D. Davis
and Mildred Garcia underscore this as
foundational to successful efforts toward
faculty diversity.
2) Broadening Definitions of Scholarship/Restructuring
the Faculty Reward System
Ernest Boyer (1990) in Scholarship
Reconsidered described ways in
which scholarly work must be expanded
to meet the educational needs of the
twenty-first century. Studies by anthony
lising antonio indicate that faculty
of color are at the forefront of broadening
the conception of scholarship as defined
by Boyer. Further studies examining
the contributions of faculty of color
to their research, teaching, and service
roles in higher education are needed.
In his presentation, Bill Tierney states
that the higher education enterprise
must "ensure that the multifaceted
tasks that occur in an organization
are equally honored and recognized.
Society needs faculty to undertake a
multitude of tasks, rather than merely
emphasizing one to the exclusion of
others." Thus, the academy is encouraged
to explore ways of redefining merit
by devising broader definitions of scholarship
and service as rewarded in promotion,
tenure, and recruitment.
3) Support for Administrative and Senior
Faculty Development
Inform college deans, department chairs,
and others in high level policy and
decision making positions about the
need and value of a diverse professoriate.
Dispel myths and develop systematic
ways to address inequities in the hiring
and promotion of faculty of color.
4) Initiate Processes and Practices
that Support Community and Inclusion
Several symposium presenters emphasized
the need to build systematic, comprehensive
faculty development programs, and to
develop and initiate networking opportunities
for faculty of color. Presenters also
underscored the critical value of mentoring
for faculty of color to the success
of college and university efforts in
addressing issues of retention, promotion
and tenure.
5) Monitor Progress
Institutions need to assess the present
status of diversity within the student
body and professoriate before new strategies
are initiated. It is important to monitor
institutional progress and maintain
records to document change over time.
Robert Jones advocated surveying for
"best practices" across colleges
and disciplines, then using these successful
units as benchmarks. Reinforcing the
call for intervention, Jones further
urged monitoring the progress of new
faculty of color and having intervention
plans in place if needed.
6) Institutional Accountability
Mildred Garcia states: "When a
new faculty member is denied tenure,
not only does the faculty member fail,
but the institution, the department
chair, and senior faculty colleagues
have also failed."
7) Support Research
Institutional support of continued
research, both quantitative and qualitative,
on the experience of faculty of color
in the workplace is also important to
expand our knowledge of factors affecting
not only the experience of faculty of
color but also documenting the contributions
which a diverse professoriate brings
to the teaching, learning, research,
and service context.
8) Building Alliances
Institutional actors must collaborate
to develop and implement strategies
toward the effective recruitment and
retention of faculty of color. There
is a need to work together and support
one another while thinking hard about
how to promote institutional climates
that support a racially diverse faculty.
There is an urgency to move from taking
steps forward to taking the necessary
giant leaps forward in meeting the goal
of achieving representative faculties.
Interinstitutional alliances with business
can also support efforts to achieve
a diverse professoriate.
9) Review Hiring Processes
Adopt fair and equal practices in faculty
recruitment, such as search committees
that are diverse in representation and
informed of new scholarship, and all
aspects of campus life to ensure faculty
of color, their concerns, and issues
are included and respected.
For more information, see the following
references:
Light, P. (1994). Diversity in the
faculty "not like us": Moving
barriers to minority recruitment. Journal
of Policy Analysis and Management,
13 (1), 163-186.
Mickelson, R.A., & Oliver, M.L.
(1991). Making the short list: Black
candidates and the faculty recruitment
process. In P.G.Altbach,. & K.Lomotey,
(Eds.), The racial crisis in American
higher education (pp. 149-166).
Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
10) Use the Legal Theory of Diversity
Jonathan Alger, AAUP general counsel,
notes that institutions must, along
with consultation with their legal counsel,
"demonstrate that there is not
a disconnect between legal standards
and what you are doing on your campus."
He further states that "as a Supreme
Court decision, the 1978 Bakke case
is still the law of the land."
Race can be considered as one among
a number of other factors that contributes
to diversity, and diversity is a compelling
interest in higher education. Diversity
contributes to the robust exchange of
ideas on campus. Alger concludes that
an institution knows how best to educate
its students, so institutions have the
academic freedom to select their student
body and faculty.
IV. SYMPOSIUM FINDINGS
-- AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Discussion Tables
During the second day of the symposium,
participants were asked to take part
in small group discussion tables. Each
table was asked to talk about strategies
for addressing the issues of recruitment
and retention of faculty of color that
you would like to implement at your
institutions. A group recorder made
a list of strategies discussed. Among
these suggestions were the following:
1) For technical colleges, create exchange
programs with business so that faculty
can be placed for six months in businesses
where minorities are employed and minority
business professionals can be invited
to work in the classrooms.
2) Replicate "grow your own models"
where doctoral students can be groomed
from program completion to placement
as a tenure track faculty.
3) Facilitate constructive conversations
within academic departments concerning
myths about and concerns of faculty
of color.
4) Encourage and create arenas where
deans, department chairs, and senior
faculty can establish personal contact
with faculty from other racial and ethnic
groups. The development of personal
relationships can help dispel myths
and stereotypes.
5) Conduct interviews with former faculty
of color with respect to institutional
climate.
6) Encourage social and other activities
to build community and promote networking
among faculty of color.
7) Allocate funding for target of opportunity
hiring for faculty of color in two year
colleges.
Interactive Keypad Technology
On the last day of the symposium, October
20, over one-third (n = 126) of the
registrants, using an advanced keypad
technology, provided their opinions
anonymously to a series of questions
about effective recruitment, retention,
and development of faculty of color.
Moss Cairns LLC, a public affairs consulting
firm based in Minneapolis, provided
the technology.
Who Participated in the Interactive
Session?
Of these participants, just over half
(52%) were European American, 31% were
African American, 10% Chicano/Latino
American, 2% were Native American/American
Indian, and 6% described themselves
as "other." A small majority
(52%) were administrators, 30% were
faculty, 11% were staff, 3% were students,
and 3% described themselves as "other."
When asked to name the primary role
that brought them to the conference,
31% were academic administrators while
21% were higher education faculty members.
Human resource professionals represented
13%, and equal proportions (11%) were
affirmative action officers or "other."
Small percentages of faculty development
professionals, researchers, policy-makers,
and students made up the rest of the
participants.
Of faculty participants, 52% were tenured,
21% were on a non-tenured track, 17%
were on a tenure-track, and 10% were
from some "other" category.
By ethnic distribution, administrators
showed this pattern: 50% European American,
38% African American, and 12% Chicano/Latino
American. Of faculty, 50% were European
American, 17% were African American,
11% were Chicano/Latino American, 6%
were Native American, and 17% were "other."
Of tenured faculty members, 64% were
European American, and 15% "other,"
while African American, Chicano/Latino
American, and Native American were 7%
each.
Most participants (87%) were from public
institutions while the rest were from
private institutions. Asked to describe
their institution, 44% said they were
from research institutions, while participants
from comprehensive community colleges
(25%) and four-year colleges (23%) were
almost evenly matched. Only 3% were
from vocational/technical colleges and
5% were from "other."
The majority (64%) of respondents involved
in this interactive session were from
the Midwest. Another 16% were from the
Northeast, 12% from the West, and 9%
from the South.
Sixty-seven (67)% were female and the
rest male.
A majority, 67%, were ages 40-54; 22%
were older and 20% younger.
And finally, 82% said their institutions
covered the major cost for attending
the symposium. Others had paid their
own costs (6%), were supported by an
agency (3%) or used a combination of
funding sources (8%).
A. BARRIERS
According to the symposium audience
participating in the interactive keypad
technology, the most important issues
to address in recruiting and retaining
faculty of color were racial and ethnic
bias in the academic workplace, lack
of institutional support, and devaluation
of the individual. Questions posed during
the interactive session with responses
are reported in the following section.
Question: In your
view, which of these issues should receive
the most attention in addressing the
recruitment and retention of faculty
of color?
Race and Ethnicity Bias in
the Academic Workplace
Forty-five percent of the participants
in the keypad interactive session ranked
race and ethnicity bias as the most
important issue on which to focus in
improving the recruiting and retaining
of faculty of color; 41% cited lack
of institutional support, with another
12% focusing on individual devaluation
as most problematic. Two percent responded
"other." No one choose legal
challenges.
Respondents who were faculty and also
those who were administrators agreed
that race and ethnicity bias was the
most important issue. As an example
of racial bias, noted in a plenary address,
white males are seen as having instant
credibility and meriting attention.
As a result, they accrue privilege,
solely by virtue of their race and gender.
Question: In your
view, which of these issues, taken from
the research and literature, on lack
of institutional support is the most
important issue on which to focus?
-
Lack of mentoring
-
Token hire
-
Inadequate support for professional
development
-
Support programs funded on soft
money and not evaluated
-
Support programs not systemic
-
Lack of support from superiors
-
Isolation
-
Other
Lack of Institutional Support
The participants split evenly on the
question: Twenty-two percent each responded
that inadequate support for professional
development and that non-systemic support
programs were the most important issues
on which to focus when addressing lack
of institutional support. The next highest
largest group (17%) felt that lack of
support from superiors deserved attention.
But lack of institutional support had
many manifestations. An additional 15%
cited isolation, 10% token hires, 8%
lack of mentoring, and 5% support programs
funded on "soft money" and
not evaluated.
Interestingly, tenure-track faculty
ranked isolation as most important (40%),
while those from institutions without
a tenure track rated lack of support
from superiors highest (50%).
Faculty members ranked isolation as
most important (27%) while administrators
saw support programs that were "not
systemic" as most important (31%).
Question: In your
view, which of these issues, taken from
the research and literature, on individual
devaluation is the most important issue
on which to focus?
Devaluation of the Individual
The responses to this issue were closely
split between loss of identity (35%),
being hypervisible or invisible (33%),
and being expected to work harder than
whites (28%); 4% said "other."
An interesting demographic variation
within this pattern shows that administrators
ranked bias in the academic workplace
(48%) as most important; faculty rated
bias and lack of institutional support
as equally important (44% each).
B. RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES
Question: In your view, which of these
strategies, taken from the research
and literature, to address recruitment
of faculty is the single most important
strategy?
-
Targeted hires
-
Multiple hires
-
Industry/Higher Education Partnerships
-
National or regional PHD production
programs
-
"Grow your own" programs
-
Revision of hiring criteria
-
Other
Multiple hires (40%) and targeted hires
(25%) received the most responses; 15%
wanted to revise hiring criteria, while
another 13% advocated "grow your
own" programs, 2% each favored
industry/higher education partnerships
and national or regional PHD production
programs, and 4% choose "other."
Demographic differences showed this
profile: Administrators said that multiple
hires and revision of hiring criteria
were equally important (29% each) while
faculty ranked multiple hires as most
important (53%).
C. RETENTION STRATEGIES
Question: In your view, which of these
strategies, taken from the research
and literature, to address retention
of faculty of color is the single most
important strategy in your view?
-
Orientation, professional development
-
Mentoring
-
Restructuring the faculty reward
system
-
Community building/Networking
-
Research support
-
Industry/Higher education partnerships
-
"Grow Your Own" Programs
-
Regional or national inter-institutional
endeavors
-
Other
The largest group (37%) agreed on restructuring
the faculty reward system; 19% each
put mentoring and community building/networking
in first place; 13% cited orientation,
professional development; 6% said "grow
your own" programs; 4% advocated
research support; 2% choose regional
or national inter-institutional endeavors
(consortia). No one indicated industry/higher
education partnerships or other.
The following demographic differences
were noted:
Twenty- seven per cent (27%) of administrators
ranked both mentoring and restructuring
the faculty reward system first. For
47% of faculty, restructuring the faculty
reward system was most important.
Forty percent of tenure-track faculty
members ranked both orientation/professional
development and the restructuring the
faculty reward system first.
Community building/networking was most
important for 43% of staff members and
for 56% of those from comprehensive
community colleges. Thirty-eight percent
of human resource officers ranked it
equally to mentoring. Mentoring was
most important for 40% of affirmative
action officers.
V. SYMPOSIUM EVALUATION
While weaknesses of the symposium design
were also noted, the overwhelming response
was supportive and most participants
wanted to see this symposium repeated.
When those participating in the interactive
session were asked to rate the symposium,
88% rated the symposium "excellent
to good" and 85% rated the conference
"excellent to good" in its
usefulness to their work.
The following responses to an open
ended comment section of our questionnaire
are reflective of participant sentiments:
-
This was a wonderful experience.
The information presented in the
lectures and sessions was invaluable.
I have a new understanding, appreciation,
and strategies on how to help increase
my institution's faculty of color.
I will work toward rebuffing the
myths of why people of color are
not hired at major Research I universities.
-
The most interesting and stimulating
conference I have attended in several
years. Bravo to all who organized
and presented! The mix of research,
theory, and recommendations for
action was a consistent thread that
gave the conference tremendous coherence.
-
I received a great deal of information
to take back to my university and
address over diversity issues. But
the bonus for me was receiving information
to advance my career as a junior
faculty member. I loved the numerous
opportunities provided for networking.
-
If we do this again, we would include
more symposium sessions addressing
the concerns of the two-year and
small liberal arts college settings
as well as lengthen the symposium
to allow more time for participant
interaction.
VI. CONCLUSION -- KEEPING
THE MOMENTUM AND ACCELERATING SOLUTIONS
This summary indicates that symposium
presenters and audience alike note the
need for institutional change in addressing
the recruitment and retention of faculty
of color. Several barriers are identified
as well as strategies to achieving a
diverse faculty are presented. While
the statistical picture looks gloomy
and much remains to be done in order
to achieve a representative professoriate,
symposium organizers and supporters
hope that this effort has contributed
to furthering the dialogue as well as
stimulating actions toward achieving
this goal.
For more information or
questions, please contact:
Caroline Sotello Viernes Turner, Keeping
our Faculties Symposium Coordinator
Research Coordinator, Faculty Programs
Office of the Associate Vice President
for Multicultural and Academic
Affairs and Associate Professor, Educational
Policy and Administration
University of Minnesota
330 Wulling Hall
86 Pleasant Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0221
Phone (612) 624-6390 Fax (612) 624-3377
Email: turne003@tc.umn.edu
*With inspiration and information from
symposium participants including plenary
and concurrent session speakers, and
with the assistance of Robert J. Jones,
Jennifer L. Longnion, Lakeesha Ransom,
and Sonia Cairns and Associates
This executive summary has been reprinted
with permission from Caroline Sotello
Viernes Turner, Symposium Coordinator.
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