1. Bringing Them and Keeping Them:
The Critical Role of Diverse Faculty in
Retention
Dr. Josephine “Jozi” De Leon & Dr. Chalane E. Lechuga
Division for Equity & Inclusion
University of New Mexico
2. Shifting Racial and Ethnic Demographics
“ The racial and ethnic demographics of the student population
in U.S. higher education has changed in recent years and even
more dramatic shifts are projected over the coming decade.
Thus, it is imperative for higher education administrations to
consider ways to recruit, retain, and support a more
demographically representative professoriate.”
Association of Public and Land Grant Universities
Issue Brief: Commission on Access, Diversity and Excellence
“A New Hope: Recruiting and Retaining the Next Generation of Faculty of Color”
March 2011
3. Shifting Racial and Ethnic Demographics
Between 1998 – 2008 student enrollment in colleges and universities increased
by 32% from 14.5 million to 19.1 million.
Approximately 33% of these incoming students were from
underrepresented racial and ethnic group.
In 2009 – 2010, faculty members of color represented approximately 18% of all
full-time faculty members in degree-granting institutions.
> 82% White
> 8% Asian Pacific Islander
> 5% African American
> 4% Latino
> Less than 1% Native American
Ponjuan, Luis, Marybeth Gasman, Elliot Hirshman, and Lorenzo L. Esters. “A New Hope: Recruiting and Retaining The Next Generation of Faculty of Color”.
Association of Public and Land Grant Universities, Issue Brief: Commission on Access, Diversity, and Excellence. Washington D.C. March 2011.
4. The Impact of a Diverse Faculty on Student Success
The Contribution of Faculty of Color to Undergraduate Education (Umbach 2006)
Provides empirical evidence that suggests that faculty of color can offer a significant contribution to
undergraduate student learning and involvement.
Faculty Interactions with students, i.e. African American and Native American faculty more
frequently interact with students
Faculty of color use active and collaborative learning techniques
Faculty of color emphasize higher order cognitive experiences
Faculty of color use diversity related activities
Linking Diversity and Educational Purpose: How Diversity Affects the Classroom Environment and Student
Development (Hurtado 2001)
Interaction across racial/ethnic groups, particularly of an academic nature, is associated with important
outcomes that will prepare students for living in a complex and diverse society.
The three “important outcomes” were:
1. Civic Outcomes
2. Job-Related Outcomes
3. Learning Outcomes
5. Recruitment and Retention
General Issues
Institutions place a larger emphasis on faculty recruitment rather than retention
efforts. Underrepresented faculty retention requires as much attention as
recruitment.
Lack of committed leadership from all levels at degree serving institutions.
Retention Issues
> Barriers to Tenure Process and Promotion
• Work Place Stressors
• Cultural Taxation
• Lack of Collegiality and Mentorship
• Lack of Transparency and Consistency
Moreno, Jose F., Daryl G. Smith, Alma R. Clayton-Pederson, Sharon Parker, and David Hiroyuki Teraguchi. “The Revolving Door for
Underrepresented Minority Faculty in Higher Education”. The James Irvine Foundation, A Research Brief. April 2006
Thompson, Chastity Q. “Recruitment, Retention, and Mentoring Faculty of Color: The Chronicle Continues”. New Directions for Higher Education, no.
143, Fall 2008. Wiley Periodical Inc. Published online in Wiley InterScience www.interscience.wiley.com.
6. Recommendations for Recruitment and Retention
of Underrepresented Faculty
Strong leadership statement from the President, Provost, in addition to
the provision of new positions and funding for start-up packages.
- An institution-wide focus on URM faculty hiring is likely to generate more
motivation and momentum for success than any one school or college
alone can generate.
Data Collection
- Collect and review faculty hiring data annually. This can reveal the extent
to which efforts to increase faculty diversity is succeeding.
- The regular collection and analysis of disaggregated data and the
establishment of meaningful benchmarks.
- Collect qualitative data about URM faculty who leave and who stay.
7. 10-Year Analysis of
Tenure-Track Faculty
Analyze all faculty at UNM from 2000-2010
> Analyze new tenure-track faculty cohorts from 2000-2010.
> Also, analyze UNM faculty who did not come in on the tenure-
track, but were later converted.
> This analysis includes new faculty hired from 2000-2006, both
those who were hired directly on to the tenure-track and
those who converted to the tenure-track during this period.
8. New Tenure-Track Hires 2000-2006
3%
2% 2%
9%
14%
70%
African American American Indian Asian/Pacific Islander
Hispanic White No Respose
9. 10-Year Analysis of
Tenure-Track Faculty
Possible tenure outcomes
1. No tenure or tenure-track
2. Came to UNM with tenure
3. Came in on Tenure-track and achieved tenure
4. Came in on Tenure-track and progressing to tenure
5. Came in on Tenure-track and left before tenure
6. Did not come in on tenure-track, converted to tenure-track, and received tenure
7. Did not come in on tenure-track, converted to tenure-track, and progressing to tenure
8. Did not come in on tenure-track, converted to tenure-track, and left before tenure
9. Came in on Tenure-track and converted to non-tenure track
10. 10-Year Analysis of
Tenure-Track Faculty
Findings
When examining the experiences of underrepresented faculty with
recruitment and retention, we need to look at each racial group
separately.
Each group has a different experience.
13. UNM Faculty Recruitment &
Retention Efforts
Recruitment
> Leadership at the administrative level
> Targeted Hires
> Conversions of non-tenure track to tenure track lines
> Post Doctoral Fellowship
Retention
> Women of Color Faculty Initiative
> Funding for faculty activities
> Working with departments/deans
> Faculty Recruitment and Retention Steering Committee
14. UNM Faculty Recruitment & Retention Efforts
Faculty Ethnicity/Gender College
2008-2009
Retention, non-tenure track African American/female Arts and Sciences
Retention, non-tenure track African American/female Arts and Sciences
Targeted recruitment (Unsuccessful) Native American/male Arts and Sciences
2009-2010
New Hire African American/male Engineering
Retention, tenure/tenure-track Native American/female Education
Move to tenure-track Native American/male Arts and Sciences
Move to tenure-track Native American/male Arts and Sciences
American Indian Studies
2010-2011
Move to tenure-track White/Female Engineering
Move to tenure-track Hispanic/female Arts and Sciences
New Hire Hispanic/Male Arts and Sciences
New Hire Hispanic/male Business
New Hire Hispanic/female Arts and Sciences
New Hire Native American/female Arts and Sciences
New Hire African American/Female Architecture and Planning
Retention, tenure/tenure-track Hispanic/male Architecture and Planning
Diversity Post Doc Hispanic/female Arts and Sciences
Diversity Post Doc African American/male Dual Appointment in Arts and Sciences
and Education
Diversity Post Doc Native American/female Arts and Sciences
NMHED Minority Loan for Service Hispanic/female TBD
2011-2012
Move to tenure-track Hispanic/male Arts and Sciences
15. New % New All % All
Tenured/Ten Tenured/Ten Tenured/Ten Tenured/Ten
Total % Total ure Track ure Track ure Track ure Track
2009-2010 Student Students Faculty Faculty Faculty Faculty
African American/Black 842 3.1% 1 0.8% 18 1.1%
American Indian 1685 6.2% 3 2.3% 29 1.8%
Asian/Pacific Islander 1042 3.8% 12 9.2% 92 5.7%
Hispanic 8914 32.6% 23 17.6% 252 15.7%
White/Non-Hispanic 12446 45.6% 91 69.5% 1134 70.5%
International 969 3.5% 0.0% 0.0%
No Response 1406 5.1% 1 0.8% 84 5.2%
Total 27304 131 1609
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10% % New Tenured/Tenure Track Faculty
0%
% Total Students
16. Additional Areas of Inquiry
Examine the relationship between a diverse faculty and
student success at UNM.
Survey faculty of color
Survey students of color
Tenure-track study
Why are African American Faculty leaving UNM?
Why are there so few African American and Native American
faculty?
Hispanic, Asian American, and the few Native American faculty
are getting tenure, we cannot assume they do not face
challenges. What are they?
For those faculty who were converted to the tenure-track
what was the process? Can this be replicated?
Analysis of Senior Faculty (Associate and Full Professors)
17. For additional information, references, and
a copy of this powerpoint presentation
please visit:
http://diverse.unm.edu/nmhear-presentation
Dr. Josephine “Jozi” De Leon & Dr. Chalane E. Lechuga
Division for Equity & Inclusion
University of New Mexico
Hinweis der Redaktion
In 2009-2010, at UNM, faculty members of color represented approximately 24% of the faculty.74% White8% Asian/Pacific Islander2% African American12% Hispanic3% Native American
Hurtado, Sylvia (2001), Linking Diversity and Educational Purpose: How Diversity Affects the Classroom Environment and Student Development. In: Orfield, G and Kurlaender, M (eds.), Diversity Challenged: Evidence on the Impact of Affirmative Action, Harvard Press, Cambridge, MA, pp. 187-203.Umbach, Paul D. The Contribution of Faculty of Color to Undergraduate Education. Research in Higher Education, Vol. 47, No. 3, May 2006, p.317-345.
Additional Speaking Points:Aguirre (2000) identified several workplace stressors that serve as barriers to promotion and tenure of faculty of color:1.) Time pressures2.) Lack of personal time3.) Teaching load4.) Review and promotion process (lack of transparency and consistency of process)5.) Research and publication demands (lack of transparency and consistency of process)6.) Childcare7.) Subtle Discrimination“Cultural Taxation” Stanley (2006) refers to this as the expectation that faculty of color will perform service initiatives through mentoring students of color and participating as “diversity representatives”.Collegiality and “Isolation” - Stanley (2006) defines collegiality as the “nature of the relationship between colleagues in the college and university setting.” - Subtle discrimination and a difference in culture between FOC and traditional academia results in the isolation of FOC from information and support networks both informal and formal (Stanley 2006). Mentorship from Senior Faculty - Example, acculturation as to how junior faculty or tenured-track faculty balance the demands of research, scholarship and teaching.Informal Processes - Lack of opportunities for mentorship or collegiality, creates barriers for junior faculty and tenured-track in understanding the “informal processes” in achieving tenure (Thompson 2008).Lack of Transparency and Consistency - Policies and procedures for tenure process. Notes on Aguirre:Aguirre writes, “Minority faculty spend more time in work-place activities such as teaching and service that do not necessarily promote their professional socialization in the academic work-place, especially the professional socialization that increases their chances for attaining tenure and promotion”.• Thompson, Chastity Q. “Recruitment, Retention, and Mentoring Faculty of Color: The Chronicle Continues”. New Directions for Higher Education, no. 143, Fall 2008. Wiley Periodical Inc. Published online in Wiley InterSciencewww.interscience.wiley.comAdditional Notes on StanleyFaculty of color find themselves overburdened with committee assignments and larger advisory loads, especially advising students of color.2.) In their review of failed minority recruitment and retention efforts, Turner and Meyers (2000) identified one of the major causes or attributed to the collapsed efforts as a lack of committed leadership from all levels.
Hispanics: Of the 27 hired, 23 have tenure (17) or are progressing to tenure (6). Three left before tenureThere were a near equal number of Hispanic females hired as there were males hired.This was the same for the number of Hispanics who got tenure or are on their way to tenureOf the 4 Hispanics who left before tenure or were transitioned off the tenure-track 3 were women and one was male.Asian American: Of the 17 hired, 11 have tenure, 1 is progressing to tenure, and 5 left before tenure.In terms of gender, there were more males hired, 11-6,of which 9 got tenure or are on track, and ½ of the Asian Female faculty left before tenure, while the other half got tenureNative American: There were few (4) Native Americans hired of which 3 got tenure and 1 was transitioned off the tenure-trackThere were two females and two males. The two females got tenure, one of the males got tenure, and one was moved off the tenure track.African American: Here, too, there were few African American faculty hired (5), of which only 1 got tenure and 4 left before tenure.Four African American Female faculty were hired of which only one got tenure and three left. The one African American male faculty hired left before tenure.Interestingly, there was high turnover among White faculty.When faculty get tenure at UNM, they tend to stay, though white faculty are the most likely to leave post-tenure.
When we look at faculty who came in to UNM as non-tenure-track faculty, we see that there are avenues for recruiting URM to the tenure track. For example nearly as many Native Americans were converted (3) as came in on the traditional tenure-track (4). URM faculty accounted for almost half (11 of 26) of the faculty converted from the tenure track (Whites accounted for 15 of 26). Hiring Faculty ABD did not seem to be a barrier to getting tenure
Hispanic, African American, and Native American faculty are underepresented, while Whites and Asian/Pacific Islander over overrepresented among new tenure-track track.
