A Look Into Increasing Faculty Diversity

Title: Now Is the Time to Focus on Faculty Diversity

Authors: Hannah Bartlebaugh, Ansley Abraham

Faculty diversity is an ongoing topic of conversation and issue in higher education. According to the report from the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), nearly 33 percent of undergraduate students are Black or Hispanic, yet only 9.5 percent of faculty identify with these groups. This report provides recommendations towards increasing and improving faculty diversity using SREB’s 30 years of research and experience.

 The report offers the following recommendations to improve and advance faculty diversity:

1. Recruitment efforts for minoritized doctoral students should be a focus area in creating a pipeline towards the professoriate.
2. Doctoral program leaders and institutions should partner with state organizations and leadership to provide various resources for minoritized doctoral students seeking fellowships and early career opportunities.
3. Higher education institutions must examine their current recruitment practices for tenure-track faculty through an equity-minded lens.
4. Retention efforts and the overall tenure process should be examined through an equity lens that promotes access and support for minoritized faculty through the tenure track pipeline.

To explore more in-depth recommendations, see the full report here.

—Ángel Gonzalez