by Michael Strickland
A chilling effect ... that's what research calls much of the experience of faculty of color like myself on predominantly white campuses. From aggression to microaggression to indifference, the challenges can be daunting. And as my mother, the late Dr. Dorothy Strickland said to Eric Cooper, one of her most successful former doctoral students:
"I know there were [and are] many others who did not even survive."
That is one of the many reasons wy I am excited that The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute of Leadership, Equity, and Justice (Proctor Institute) is just released “Achieving Equity: A Toolkit for Racially Inclusive Faculty Hiring.” The toolkit shines a light on the lack of representation in the racial and ethnic makeup of faculty and calls for action from institutions of higher education to see growth.
While colleges and universities have been lauded for increasing student diversity, these same institutions have failed to achieve any comparable diversity among their faculty. In 2017, of the nation’s full-time, tenure-track and tenured faculty, only 3 percent each were Black men, Black women, Hispanic men, and Hispanic women. Only 6 percent were Asian/Pacific Islander men, 5 percent were Asian/Pacific Islander women, and 1 percent were American Indian/Alaska Native.
Born out Revolution U: Dismantling Systemic Racism in Faculty Hiring, a two day event held in June 2022 and Marybeth Gasman’s book Doing the Right Thing: How Colleges and Universities Can Undo Systemic Racism in Faculty Hiring, the toolkit empowers readers to confront their institution’s faculty hiring practices and break down traditional barriers to promote equity and justice.
“When crafting this toolkit, we wanted to develop something that left readers with actionable steps to have a lasting impact on higher education,” shared Gasman, Executive Director of the Proctor Institute and Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University. “It was designed for not only leaders in higher education but anyone passionate about the representation of people of color among faculty.”
The authors emphasize the importance of restructuring and rethinking search processes, using data in faculty hiring, holding faculty members accountable for the search committee process, and pushing leaders to foster equity in the hiring processes.
"Revolution U was an innovative and enriching experience fostering important conversations surrounding the need for more equitable faculty hiring practices. We hope that this toolkit serves as a guide for faculty and administrators looking to enact change on their respective campuses nationwide,” shared Rebecca Perdomo, Senior Research Associate (by courtesy) at CMSI and co-author of the toolkit.
They highlight the importance of addressing excuses that lead to underrepresentation in academia and challenging traditional definitions of quality. They recommend concrete strategies for creating a diverse applicant pool, focusing on inclusivity rather than exclusivity, requiring well thought out search committee training, and confronting anti-Blackness in faculty hiring.
“Achieving Equity” serves as a guide for academic leaders committed to creating racially inclusive and equitable learning environments.
Find the toolkit here.