Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention of Racially and Ethnically Diverse

Luoma Action Learning Project:
Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase
Retention of Racially and Ethnically Diverse
Faculty and Staff
Project Members:
Mary Bongers, Saint Cloud State University
Dena Colemer, South Central College
Deirdre Rosenfeld, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Pakou Vang, Century College
Executive Sponsors:
Kristina Keller, Saint Cloud Technical College
Renee Hogoboom, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
July 2008
Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention
of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculty and Staff
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Page 1
Recommendations
Page 3
Best Practices
Page 4
Diversity Reading Program
Page 5
Mentoring Program
Page 7
Anti-Racism or Racism Education Programs
Page 10
Employees of Color Network
Page 11
Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED)
Page 12
Enhancing Communication on Campus
Page 13
Campus Action Plan
Page 14
Involvement with Campus Community Diversity Efforts
Page 15
Create Regular Schedule of Diversity Focused Events
Page 16
Create Aesthetically Welcoming Environments
Page 17
Appendix A: Resources on Welcoming Environments
Page 18
Appendix B: Resources on Experiences of Faculty and Staff of Color
in Higher Education Institutions
Page 32
Appendix C: Sample Telephone Interview Questionnaire
Page 36
Appendix D: Telephone Interview Contacts
Page 38
Luoma Action Learning Project:
Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention
of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculty and Staff
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In order to better serve an increasingly diverse student body and better reflect the changing cultural,
ethnic, linguistic and social landscape that Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) face, the
system needs to develop approaches that will effectively help colleges and universities recruit and retain
diverse staff and faculty. While some institutions have had successes in recruiting a diverse staff and
faculty, it is often more challenging to retain them. This action learning team continued a previous
action learning project focused on “developing diverse system-wide talent pools” and was charged to
develop a plan highlighting practices to assist in creating welcoming environments in order to increase
retention of racially and ethnically diverse faculty and staff.
This action learning team began our project by researching welcoming environments and the
experiences of racially and ethnically diverse faculty and staff. From the research, welcoming
environments was defined as communities that were “supportive, open, inclusive, collegial and had
equal access where individuals felt appreciated, engaged, respected and valued.” The research also
showed that faculty and staff had varying work experiences and job satisfaction, dependent on
numerous factors. Nonetheless, faculty and staff of color were more likely to be more aware of
race/ethnicity concerns on campus; have more personal experiences with situations where
race/ethnicity concerns were factors; have more concerns with relationships with colleagues and
students because of race/ethnicity issues; and be impacted on a professional and personal level
(experiences of isolation, alienation, and discrimination). Thus, efforts have been made at colleges and
universities to create welcoming environments where racially and ethnically diverse faculty and staff felt
valued and supported and could appropriately and effectively address concerns.
After examining the research, we wanted to identify retention efforts occurring in MnSCU institutions
for racially and ethnically diverse faculty and staff. We designed a telephone interview questionnaire
and conducted seventeen telephone interviews surveying twenty-one MnSCU institutions. The data
collected from the telephone interviews furthered our research information and resulted in overall
recommendations.
In conclusion, we make the following four recommendations to the MnSCU system to address the
retention of racially and ethnically diverse faculty and staff:
• Many campuses focus their diversity work on student recruitment and retention without
intentional work relating to employees. We recommend that colleges/universities increase their
emphasis on creating and sustaining welcoming environments for diverse faculty and staff
members.
• Retention issues, including creating welcoming environments, are not at the forefront of our
campus diversity work. We recommend that colleges/universities increase their emphasis on
diversity-related retention activities for faculty and staff members.
• Many chief diversity officers are also human resources and affirmative action chiefs. Wearing
multiple hats may negatively impact diversity efforts because of competing priorities. We
recommend that colleges/universities identify a chief diversity officer that is not the chief
human resources or affirmative action officer whenever possible.
1
•
Campuses are thirsty for additional, applicable resources (i.e., best practices, proven models,
practical “how to” information, and contacts) to support their diversity work. We recommend
that MnSCU continues to supply diversity initiative resources for campuses to implement and
use technology to best share these resources.
Based on our fourth recommendation, we provide the following framework for initiating such
information sharing that may be a model for continuation by the MnSCU system. These ten best
practices can be adapted and utilized at any MnSCU institution as initiatives to retain racially and
ethnically diverse faculty and staff.
• Diversity Reading Program
• Mentoring Program
• Anti-Racism or Racism Education Programs
• Employees of Color Network
• Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED)
• Enhancing Communication on Campus
• Campus Action Plan
• Involvement with Campus Community Diversity Efforts
• Create Regular Schedule of Diversity Focused Events
• Create Aesthetically Welcoming Environments
Project Members:
Mary Bongers, Saint Cloud State University
Dena Colemer, South Central College
Deirdre Rosenfeld, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Pakou Vang, Century College
Executive Sponsors:
Kristina Keller, Saint Cloud Technical College
Renee Hogoboom, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
2
Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention
of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculty and Staff
Recommendations
Many campuses focus their diversity work on student recruitment and retention without intentional
work relating to employees. We recommend that colleges/universities increase their emphasis on
creating and sustaining welcoming environments for diverse faculty and staff members.
Retention issues, including creating welcoming environments, are not at the forefront of our campus
diversity work. We recommend that colleges/universities increase their emphasis on diversity-related
retention activities for faculty and staff members.
Many chief diversity officers are also human resources and affirmative action chiefs. Wearing multiple
hats may negatively impact diversity efforts because of competing priorities. We recommend that
colleges/universities identify a chief diversity officer that is not the chief human resources or affirmative
action officer whenever possible.
Campuses are thirsty for additional, applicable resources (i.e., best practices, proven models, practical
“how to” information, and contacts) to support their diversity work. We recommend that MnSCU
continues to supply diversity initiative resources for campuses to implement and use technology to best
share these resources.
3
Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention
of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculty and Staff
Best Practices
A MnSCU Luoma Leadership Academy Action Learning Team was charged with developing a plan
highlighting practices to assist in creating welcoming environments in order to increase retention of
racially and ethnically diverse faculty and staff. The following best practices are a compilation of
initiatives from the literature and a survey of MnSCU institutions we provided. These should save as a
starting point and framework for continued sharing of diversity initiative resources. These best practices
can be adapted and utilized by any MnSCU institution as initiatives to retain racially and ethnically
diverse faculty and staff. These materials were collected throughout academic year 2007-2008 by Mary
Bongers at Saint Cloud State University, Dena Colemer at South Central College, Deirdre Rosenfeld at
Minnesota State University, Mankato, and Pakou Vang at Century College.
4
Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention
of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculty and Staff
Best Practices
Diversity Reading Program
Purpose: Learn about self and others while developing shared language to deepen understanding of
diversity issues.
How to Start:
Identify small group to steer project
Define parameters
o Who will be invited to participate (faculty, staff and/or students, department,
division/college, campus-wide)
o How much reading to do (article(s), book, etc.)
Select reading material and discussion facilitator
Select time/date/location for discussion session
Invite participants, providing selected readings for each participant who registers
Design participant assessment/evaluation (see sample on next page)
Host session
Working group reviews evaluations
Repeat (monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, yearly – whatever works best for you)
Alternative: consider groups that target white privilege in addition to other diversity issues
Suggested Resources:
o Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Student Affairs Employee Diversity Committee:
http://www.mnsu.edu/saedc/sareads/
o Loyola College in Maryland has a six-year history:
http://www.loyola.edu/academics/diversity/readinggroups/
o Some campuses use film, television, www or podcast content as discussion material
5
SAMPLE DIVERSITY READ EVALUATION
I learned something new about myself from this program:
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
1
2
3
4
Strongly Agree
5
I learned something new about others from this program:
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
1
2
3
4
Strongly Agree
5
I will take positive action as a result of attending this program:
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
1
2
3
4
5
Facilitation of this session was:
Poor
1
2
Neutral
3
4
Excellent
5
Reading materials were:
Poor
1
2
Neutral
3
4
Excellent
5
Today I learned:
I prefer to learn about diversity in the following ways (indicate all that apply):
__ Presentation
__ Self-reflection
__ Dialogue
__ Reading
__ Activities
__ Within my department
__ With people who have similar positions from other departments
__ Other(s):
What topics would you suggest for future sessions?
Other comments:
6
Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention
of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculty and Staff
Best Practices
Mentoring Program
Purpose: Racially and/or ethnically diverse faculty and staff members will have opportunities for
developmental professional partnerships.
How to Start:
Identify program coordinator(s ) who will call for and support mentors/mentee matching
Define parameters
o Program structure:
Informal ~~ In this model, mentors and mentees find each other and mutually
negotiate the parameters of their mentoring relationship. Mentees usually
choose mentors who they view as role models, who have similar professional
interests, or share some common personal characteristics. Informal
relationships are not monitored by the organization and have no informational
or training requirements. Meetings are usually casual or semi-structured.
Partnerships continue for the length of time both partners desire to be in the
relationship. Rewards for participating as mentors are intrinsic, meaning there is
high mutual personal investment in the mentee’s development (Ragins, Cotton,
& Miller, 2000).
Formal ~~ Usually, formal mentor/mentee relationships are arranged by the
organization for new or newly-promoted employees, and are intended to meet
organizational orientation and training needs. The partners involved have often
not met before being assigned to each other. Formal relationships are usually
arranged for a pre-determined amount of time, often six months to one year.
The participants are often monitored by the organization, which may require
mentors to cover specific orientation information and on-the-job trainings.
Rewards for participating as mentors are usually extrinsic involving stipends or
other compensation, meaning that there may be less personal investment in the
mentee’s professional development (Ragins, Cotton, & Miller, 2000).
o Who will be invited to participate – if goal is diversity-related then targeting diverse
employees is the key
o Time commitment expected from participants
Call for mentors and mentees (see samples on following pages)
Encourage mentor pairs to connect
Evaluate program
Suggested Resources:
o Minnesota State University, Mankato President’s Commission on the Status of Women
Mentor Match Program
o Ten Rules for Mentoring Relationships by Jane Hyun
o How Mentors Can Help African Americans by Dan Woog
o Mentors Lead the Way to Success by Tracey de Morsella
o Lois J. Zachary’s books, including The Mentor’s Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning
Relationships and Creating a Mentoring Culture: The Organization’s Guide
7
Sample Call for Mentors and Mentees (formal structure – mentoring pairs are matched):
Are you interested in becoming a mentor or mentee?
What are you career goals (short and long term)?
When did you begin working on this campus?
Where did you complete your undergraduate and/or graduate studies?
Where are you from?
Which department do you work in and what is your current job title?
What information would you like to see come from the Mentoring Program that will benefit you
personally and professionally?
What are your interests or hobbies outside of work, or is there any other information you would
like us to know about you so that we can best serve you?
Sample Call for Mentors (informal structure – mentees select their own mentor):
Name:
Email:
Position:
Office or Department:
Number of years on campus:
Contact Preferences
__ Phone ______________
__ Email
__ In Person
Professional Interests:
Personal Information:
Additional comments:
8
Sample Mentoring Program Evaluation Form
Please check:
I was a:
Mentor
Mentee
1. The Mentoring Program met my expectations / professional needs.
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
2. Zachary’s book The Mentor’s Guide was helpful in forming and guiding the mentoring process?
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
3. How many times did you meet with your mentor/mentee? ________________
The amount of time met was sufficient, no more or less time was needed.
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
4. Within your mentoring relationship, what were the most helpful aspects of your experience?
5. Within your mentoring relationship, how could your experience have been more helpful to you?
6. Timing of this mentoring program met my professional needs.
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
7. Overall evaluation of the Mentoring Program –
Please list three examples of what worked well
1.
2.
3.
Please list three areas of needed improvement
1.
2.
3.
8. I would recommend the Mentoring Program to other employees
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
9. Do you have interest in continuing in the Mentoring Program?
Yes
No
10. Do you wish to maintain your same mentor/mentee?
Yes
No
Comments:
9
Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention
of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculty and Staff
Best Practices
Anti-Racism or Racism Education Programs
Purpose: Learn about self and others while developing shared language to deepen understanding of
diversity issues.
How to Start:
Call for interest amongst employees and form a working group – some models, such as TOCAR
(link below) are learning circles rooted in power-conscious processes. This work may take on
non-traditional structure in order to be authentic.
This group will define timeline, goals, process and identify resource needs.
Suggested Resources:
o TOCAR (Teaching Our Campuses About Racism)
Minnesota State University, Moorhead: http://www.mnstate.edu/tocar/
o CARE (Community Anti-Racism Education) Initiative
St. Cloud State University: http://www.stcloudstate.edu/care/
o Funding may be available through the Otto Bremer Foundation
http://www.ottobremer.org/
o Resources may be available through the Minneapolis YWCA Racial Justice Program
http://www.ywca-minneapolis.org/community-programs/racial-justice/index.asp
o Lee Mun Wah’s “Stir Fry Seminars” is another resource that could be used for
employees and students
http://www.stirfryseminars.com/pages/services_education.html
10
Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention
of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculty and Staff
Best Practices
Employees of Color Network
Purpose: To create a network for racially and ethnically diverse faculty and staff to network, share
information, and provide support for one another.
How to Start:
Design network purpose and plan
Identify a list of racially and ethnically diverse faculty and staff on campus—email each and
invite them to be a part of the network
Upon acceptance from faculty and staff, create a list serve
Create and send weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly electronic newsletter
o Newsletter includes information about new hires, important news, celebrations,
announcements, events, and activities
Offer online discussion board for sharing and sounding board
Have once-a-semester gatherings for networking and support
Provide continuous support as needed
Suggested Resources:
o North Hennepin Community College, Matthew Antonio Bosch, 763-424-0850, current
Chief Diversity Officer
o Multicultural Forum offered through University of St. Thomas
http://www.stthomas.edu/mcf/default.html
o St. Cloud State University, Simia Hakeem, 320-308-3264, current elected leader of
SCSU’s Faculty and Staff of Color Caucus
o Minnesota State University, Mankato, Betty Young, 507-389-6316, current elected
leader of MSU’s Pan-African Professional Alliance
o “Keeping Our Faculties Symposium: Recruiting, Retaining and Advancing Faculty of
Color” hosted every second year: http://www.cce.umn.edu/conferences/kof/
11
Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention
of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculty and Staff
Best Practices
Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED)
Purpose: Have a group on campus that support the efforts of faculty and staff in personal and
professional awareness, self-assessment and growth which will support creating a safer and affirming
environment for all students and employees.
How to Start:
Designate facilitator(s) of program—Facilitators should be fellow faculty/staff members who
have attended a week long intensive SEED facilitator training
Send out invitation to interested faculty and staff members
Set meeting dates to meet once a month (3 hour meetings)
SEED 1 is the first year experience with SEED. Seminar topics include gender, race, class, culture
and many other diversities of experience. Participants can expect to be involved in a variety of
activities during the seminar meetings including discussions of reading, videos, exercises,
journaling, and guest speakers. In addition to personal growth, the focus of each meeting is on
resources members can use in the classroom or when working with students.
The SEEDfolks group is made up of staff and faculty that have participated in past SEED 1
seminars and have chosen to continue further exploration into issues relating to equity and
diversity. In addition to learning new information, the group gives support and feedback to each
other as they encounter diversity issues with our students and colleagues.
Assess each year and continue
Suggested Resources:
o Century College: http://www.centuryseed.project.mnscu.edu/
o Radford University: http://www.multicultural.vt.edu/proceedings/seed_paper.pdf
o Wellesley Centers for Women: http://www.wcwonline.org/seed/index.html
o http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=pocpwi5
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Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention
of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculty and Staff
Best Practices
Enhancing Communication on Campus
Purpose: Enhance internal communication to ensure accurate and timely flow of information
dissemination, in efforts to create a welcoming environment on campus.
How to Start:
Create work group on campus to analyze current internal communication. Address issues such
as:
o Ways to recognize employee accomplishments and show appreciation
o Improving communication about budget process
o Improving communication and collaboration across departments and programs
Work group create and distribute online survey on communication; collect data and compile
recommendations for more effective communication on campus
o Examples of recommendations can include: electronic campus newsletter, campus
emails, campus website, hard-copy information, All-College monthly meetings, sharing
of campus information on common hard-drive, establishing norms for meeting
processes, improving inter-departmental communication and collaboration among
departments
Address necessary changes on campus and implement recommendations
Suggested Resources:
o Inverhills Community College AQIP Project, “Create and Implement Plan to Enhance
Communication and Decision-making Processes”:
http://www.inverhills.edu/AboutUs/AQIPActionProjects.aspx and
http://www.aqip.org/components/com_actionsearch/detailview.php
o Century College AQIP Project, “We are Century”:
http://www.aqip.org/components/com_actionsearch/detailview.php
13
Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention
of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculty and Staff
Best Practices
Campus Action Plan
Purpose: Make diversity a priority on campus by including diversity initiatives as a campus action plan.
How to Start:
Meet with campus stakeholders and identify key diversity issues that need to be addressed
Design an action plan that includes performance measures
Include the action plan as a part of the institution’s Biennial Action Plan
Designate specific individuals on campus to ensure implementation and assessment of plan
Suggested Resources:
o Sample of Action Plan from Century College:
Goal 1.1 Make XXX College a more welcoming environment for students and employees
from diverse backgrounds. Improve inter-cultural competence for faculty and staff.
Based on the findings of Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) survey given in
(date), develop and align strategies to improve in challenge areas identified in survey
findings: (a) the need for sustained and extensive interaction with other cultures, (b) the
development of a broad worldview that can comprehend and accommodate complex
cultural differences.
Performance Measure: By (date), experience a 10% increase in participation in campus
activities promoting intercultural awareness as measured in the IDI survey instrument
administered. By (date), participation in XXX program or similar initiatives increases by
25% over the previous year.
14
Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention
of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculty and Staff
Best Practices
Involvement with Campus Community Diversity Efforts
Purpose: Active support for broader campus community diversity activities. (Note: May assist
college/university to diagnosis and support improvement of bigger community-wide stumbling blocks
for creating welcoming environments.)
How to Start:
Identify campus community groups currently working on diversity initiatives. Consider leading
the creation of one if not already established.
o Define parameters
Designate group structure
Establish shared goals/priorities
Actively participate
o Promote activities amongst college employers/students
o Host activities as appropriate
Suggested Resources:
o Greater Mankato Diversity Council (GMDC):
http://www.mankatodiversity.com/
o Diversity Council, Rochester:
http://www.diversitycounsil.org/
15
Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention
of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculty and Staff
Best Practices
Create Regular Schedule of Diversity Focused Events
Purpose: To share information, open dialog, and build appreciation for diversity concepts through a
series of speakers, films, and/or discussions.
How to Start:
Identify small group to steer project
Define parameters
o Who will be invited to participate (faculty, staff and/or students, department,
division/college, campus-wide)
o Define focus of series
Select films/speakers/discussion topics
Select time/date locations for series events
Promote series events
Design participant assessment/evaluation
Host series/events
Review evaluations
Repeat (monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, yearly-whatever works best for you)
Alternative: promote existing diversity events through a central campus calendar
Suggested Resources:
o Conversations on Race:
http://www.indiana.edu/~cor/about.html
o Anoka Technical College has partnered with the YWCA to host conversations on Race on
campus for employers and students. MaryBeth Christenson-Jones, Chief HR, AA &
Diversity Officer, 763-576-4706
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Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention
of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculty and Staff
Best Practices
Create Aesthetically Welcoming Environments
Purpose: Incorporate diversity concepts intentionally into facilities design and planning.
How to Start:
Incorporate ethnic and cultural symbolism into new facility design long term facility plans
Utilize works of art to create culturally welcoming environments
Address cultural needs, such as footwash stations for Islamic campus community members
Suggested Resources:
o SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) Century College, intentionally hung art
images of diverse populations, murals:
http://www.century.edu/futurestudents/areasofstudy/seed.aspx
o Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College:
http://www.fdltcc.edu/facts/campusdescription.html
17
Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention
of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculty and Staff
Appendix A
Resources on Welcoming Environments
SUMMARY: The following is an annotated bibliography of sorts focused on materials that define,
critique or develop welcoming environments for people of color working in higher education. Many of
these resources focus exclusively on members of the teaching faculty. Articles/resources exclusively
discussing student diversity, learning, recruitment or retention were not included in this review. For the
most part, sections discussing recruiting work (largely search-related) were also not included in this
review.
DEFINITIONS
Descriptions of welcoming environments used the following words or terms:
• supportive
• collegial community
• appreciated
• engaged
• respect for individuals
• effective work and learning
• sense of community
• equal access
• respected participation
• not tolerated but valued
• open
• inclusive
Descriptions of environments that are unwelcoming used the following words or terms:
• rank-based hierarchy
• untenured faculty silence
• individualism
• alienation
• racial and ethnic bias
• lack of institutional support
• devaluation of the individual
18
RESOURCE: http://www.aacu.org/irvinediveval/pdfs/resourcekit.pdf, pages 27-28 (surveys that assess
employee perceptions re: culture/climate), page 29 (4 dimensions of institutional change – perhaps
these indicators will influence our “welcoming environment” work), page 33 (another possible
instrument “Cultural Pluralism Climate Survey Study”), page 56 (The Netter Principles – “12 Principles
that describe what an inclusive workplace looks like when it is achieved” and Resources for Workplace
Diversity)
From “Improving Campus Climate To Support Faculty Diversity and Retention: A Pilot Program for New
Faculty” date unknown
http://www.multicultural.vt.edu/proceedings/GRANT_Faculty_Retention_Art.pdf
The development of a supportive, collegial community is important (Alfred, 1999; Gregory, 2002).
Underrepresented faculty members need to feel both appreciated (Thomas & Asunka, 1995) and
engaged (Antonio, 1998). Other important features from research in this area include “committed and
sustained mentorship, leadership opportunities, participation in program planning, a good complaint
system, and inclusiveness in retention programs.”
The authors cite campus-specific practices including a benchmarking retention project, focus groups,
mentoring breakfasts, university-wide retention workshop, college-wide diversity summit.
LOTS of indicators of retention-friendly environment:
• Key administrators must demonstrate a university-wide commitment to inclusion and enact
decisions that support inclusion.
• The university must value all departments and faculty (e.g., Black studies and liberal arts, as well
as science and engineering.)
• Networking strategies should be built into the university culture.
• The university must develop support strategies such as a broad definition of diversity and
activities that support social connection, develop partnerships between mainstream culture and
marginal groups, recognize faculty who demonstrate inclusive culture in their teaching/advising
endeavors, and address domestic partnership.
• New faculty need more opportunity to participate in decision-making.
• Underrepresented faculty need more rewards and praise.
• The university structure needs to remain stable.
• Ideal mentors would have a cultural understanding of their mentees but would not necessarily
be of the same culture.
• Mentors should be both assigned and freely formed.
• An ideal mentoring program would develop opportunities for faculty to network with both
colleagues and university administration.
• An ideal mentoring program would be both on the departmental and college levels.
19
•
•
•
•
•
There needs to be strong commitment toward diversity at all levels of the university.
Administrators and colleagues should demonstrate ongoing support and interest in faculty work
Stabilize the university structure (this comment was made when the university was involved in
massive restructuring.)
The university should support the career of faculty members’ partners or spouses.
Salary increases should occur on a regular basis and commensurate with current market trends.
The Impact of Social Interaction and Reward System Norms on Underrepresented Faculty
http://www.diversityweb.org/diversity_innovations/faculty_staff_development/recruitment_tenure_pr
omotion/underrepresented.cfm
“Of the many faculty norms, this study specifically focuses on examining how social interaction norms
and reward process norms impact faculty at a public urban university. The first major question of this
study asks what the social interaction and reward process norms are. The second major question asks
how underrepresented faculty are impacted by these norms. The overall goal of this study is to provide
a framework for understanding potentially hidden disadvantages for underrepresented faculty and to
initiate dialogue among academic leaders for generating solutions.” Interesting/relevant points include
the “implications of rank-based hierarchy and untenured faculty silence” and individualism. These
create feelings of alienation for underrepresented faculty.
Recommendations include:
• “Promoting community-based organizational norms is one way to combat alienation. Efforts
toward creating a community-based organization could include: structuring faculty meetings so
that there are opportunities for small group interaction; developing departmental faculty
forums where presenters are required to conduct and present their research in teams; offering
benefits to team presenters such as travel money; and coordinating team teaching
opportunities.”
• “Practicing the technique of coordinated care (Gubitosi, 1996) is another, non-costly and simple
way to make a big difference in combating faculty alienation. The type of effort that goes into
arranging a faculty job interview experience is an example of coordinated care. It requires two
principles: 1) that "care" is scheduled on a calendar and not left to happen by chance; and 2)
that more than one person is responsible to carry it out. Another example of coordinated care
could be creating a month-long sign-up sheet where department faculty, staff and students signup for one or two times during the month to acknowledge and support the new faculty
member.”
From “Report of the Task Force on Faculty Diversity and Inclusiveness” University of Rochester, Oct 2006
http://www.rochester.edu/president/memos/2006/task_force_report.pdf
20
This institutional report has numerous recommendations related to the Univ or Rochester raises the
following recommendations related to their environmental concerns:
• Create a single “point of contact” (p 28) – not necessarily an office/person to resolve all
diversity-related concerns but a default starting place to serve the community.
• Address isolation (p 28-29) – create informal networks for new employees to “provide
opportunities for professional collaboration, outlets to voice concerns and get feedback, and
opportunities for social interaction.”
• Celebrate and recognize diversity through conversations and events (p 28)
• Information-Sharing on Child Care, Schools, Real Estate, and the Community (p 29)
• Spouse and partner hiring (p 30)
• University-provided child care (p 30)
• Conduct exit interviews (p 33)
From the UCLA Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor, Faculty Diversity, May 2003
http://faculty.diversity.ucla.edu/06library/affirm/docs/RecruitmentAndRetentionOfFaculty.pdf
Page 7 – “Best Practices for Faculty Retention” includes recommendations of:
• Exit interviews
• Interviews with faculty who have been successful (promoted, tenured, or otherwise retained)
• Mentoring junior faculty
Page 10 – “Creating a Welcoming Campus Climate” includes recommendations of:
• Empowering all departments/units to sponsor speakers, discussions or events that “discuss
questions of affirmative action, diversity, and equal opportunity.”
• Maintain an “on-going and civil dialogue at the campus level” related to the above issues.
• “Provide public and academic recognition to faculty who make exceptional contributions to
academic and educational diversity through their research, teaching, or service activities.”
Pages 11-12 – “Valuing Faculty Contributions to Diversity” includes the recommendation to consider
“contributions to the educational diversity of the academic community” in promotion and tenure
processes.
From “Recommendations for Retaining a Diverse Faculty at Arizona State University” Oct 2003
http://www.clte.asu.edu/teachingresources/REFOCUS_Action_Plan--11-7-03.doc
Includes a survey of faculty members who are people of color – they were asked:
• What do you know now about working at ASU that you wished you had known before you
arrived?
• What support have you received at ASU that has been most valuable?
• What additional support at ASU would you find helpful?
21
•
•
•
What do you see as some of the key challenges of being a faculty of color at ASU?
What speakers do you think could best address those challenges?
What kinds of workshop topics do you think could best address those challenges?
Discussion of ASU-specific findings and recommendations including:
• true support for mentoring,
• encouraging & rewarding innovative interdisciplinary scholarship,
• sensitivity/awareness professional development resources for administrators,
• creating resources to confront/prevent environments that are “openly hostile” to faculty of
color
• broken link refers to resources available at the University of MN (broken link:
http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/adp/practices/)
From Bellingham Technical College (WA) help defining a “welcoming environment”
http://www.btc.ctc.edu/Welcome/Mission.asp
INSTITUTIONAL GOAL 5 - Welcoming Campus Environment
BTC will create and maintain an attractive and inclusive campus environment that promotes a sense of
community, respect for individuals, and effective work and learning.
From Penn State help defining a “welcoming environment”
http://www.senate.psu.edu/agenda/2006-2007/mar20-07agn/appb.pdf
Challenge One of Penn State’s Framework to Foster Diversity identifies positive perceptions of climate
relating to “an environment characterized by equal access and respected participation for all groups and
individuals irrespective of cultural differences and, more importantly, where the multiplicity of
characteristics possessed by persons are not simply tolerated but valued.”
From “Keeping our Faculties: Addressing the Recruitment and Retention of Faculty of Color in Higher
Education,” Oct 1998,
http://www.diversityweb.org/diversity_innovations/faculty_staff_development/recruitment_tenure_pr
omotion/keeping_our_faculties.cfm
(Author is Caroline Sotello Viernes Turner from the U of M)
22
This article is a summary of a multi-day symposium. Core myths addressed include:
• Labor market myths
• The model minority myth
• The diversity is only for minorities myth
• The level playing field myth
Strategies presented:
• Incorporate Diversity as A Core Value and The Importance of Commitment From All Levels
• Broadening Definitions of Scholarship/Restructuring the Faculty Reward System
• Support for Administrative and Senior Faculty Development
• Initiate Processes and Practices that Support Community and Inclusion
• Monitor Progress
• Institutional Accountability
• Support Research
• Building Alliances
• Review Hiring Processes
• Use the legal theory of diversity
Strategies created by symposium participants:
• 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.
• Facilitate constructive conversations within academic departments concerning myths about and
concerns of faculty of color.
• 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.
• Conduct interviews with former faculty of color with respect to institutional climate.
• Encourage social and other activities to build community and promote networking among
faculty of color.
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.”
Retention Strategies
Participants were asked: “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
23
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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 interinstitutional 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.”
From University of Arizona Diversity Proposal, August 2002
http://w3.coh.arizona.edu/coh/diversity_initiatives/DiversityProposal.pdf
Mostly recruitment/search objectives, includes these other recommendations:
• Encourage the creation of a vigorous mentoring program at the college level in order to provide
incoming and current diverse faculty strong support during the early years of employment when
faculty face a variety of professional, social, and personal challenges in the academy.
• Create a fund for incentive startup packages, research packages, and guaranteed summer
stipends for colleges and departments that have not had access to such funds in the past.
• Restructure promotion and tenure policies to allow recognition for all aspects of the faculty role
that contribute to the learning environment.
• Reward faculty that pursue scholarship in diversity via part time teaching schedules, special
grants, etc.
• Establish and maintain modes of public and academic recognition for current faculty who make
exceptional contributions
24
From University of Colorado at Denver faculty proposal, December 2006
https://www.cu.edu/sg/messages/5340.html:
Focus on diverse faculty
Welcoming similar to “open and inclusive”
The proposal has three phases:
• In phase one, the campus would convene focus groups to clarify the issues involved in creating a
welcoming environment and suggest strategies. The focus groups also would define what
campus residents mean by the terms "open," "inclusive" and "welcoming." The focus groups
would be asked a series of questions, such as what an open and inclusive campus would feel and
look like, and how it would treat its members.
• Phase two would involve a campuswide survey, asking how people know whether they are
welcomed and respected.
• The final phase would put together planning teams that would put into motion actions designed
to change the culture, and "put teeth" into policies, Muth said Tuesday.Having the conversation
is a way to build the culture, Muth replied. "You build a common language and have a common
sense of the issues, and you begin to identify the issues and where the problems are," he said.
"We need to be goal-oriented, with measurable goals; that is what this calls for. What is
inclusion, how do we measure it and how do we know it when we have it?"
From “Welcoming Diversity on Campus: The Need for Transformation of University Culture” by Caroline
Sotello Viernes Turner, April 1997
http://www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/wilkins/caroline_turner_paper.html
Focus on students of color:
• “As Daniels, elaborating on Wakabayashi’s metaphor, says, students of color are “guests.”
They’re not ‘family,’ whose foibles and mistakes are tolerated, and whose sins are forgiven. They
are ...expected...to keep out of certain rooms in the house, and not pry into certain aspects of the
family’s life. Above all, they are to be on their best behavior at all times.” (1991, p. 5) Students of
color can have equal access to education only when they, too, own the house, when they can
rearrange the furniture and put their feet on the coffee table like everyone else.”
• “…minorities describe the research university as unwelcoming, lonely, having a general lack of
concern, an expectation that students of color will not make it, inaccessible instructors, an
inadequate number of tutors, and a lack of encouragement from professors.”
• “…when minorities are successful, they pay a severe price for that success.”
25
“Mitchell goes on to describe the price she pays for her success in academe: “I have begun to experience
feelings of anxiety and futility, emotions that paralyze and inhibit my creativity and productivity...What
ensues is a state of double marginality...belonging to and feeling a part of two worlds, yet never at home
in either.””
o “In a truly inclusive university, the faculty could not do their everyday teaching and
research without being in conversation with the representatives of different cultures.”
Their Recommendations:
• Emphasize cooperation, collaboration and community. (Smith, 1989)3 This is important because,
as Duster notes, “Seeing others from a distance and being seen from a distance” allows
individuals to maintain their stereotypes of each other. (1991, p.15) Two ways this can be done
are:
- Provide opportunities and incentives for diverse groups of students, faculty, and/or staff to
collaborate on various campus endeavors (teaching, research, curriculum design, etc...)
- Build institutional rewards for promoting collaboration and community into performance
evaluations of higher education faculty and staff. For example, single- authored and co-authored
papers should be accorded equal recognition within all departments.
• Support the process of organizational change within the university. Bolman and Deal (1991)
suggest the following measures to do this:
- Provide psychological support to those within the institution.
- Attend to realigning and renegotiating formal patterns and policies.
- Create arenas where issues can be negotiated so conflict does not go underground.
- Recognize the need for time to let go and to experience symbolic healing.
• Act decisively against racial intolerance on campus. Policies clarifying acceptable and
unacceptable conduct on campus should become an integral part of the campus code of
conduct (Southern Regional Education Board, 1990).4
• Establish a comprehensive, systematic approach to providing supportive services to all students
and staff without the stigma that is presently attached to them. Talented students who do not
need remedial support still need other kinds of support and must not be left to “flounder and
struggle” (Smith, 1989, p. 47) on their own.
• Increase diversity among faculty and staff. In addition to hiring more faculty and staff of color,
grants should be made available to colleges for appointments of visiting faculty of color.
(Johnson, 1992)
• Incorporate into the curriculum contributions by people of color.
• Broaden curriculum to include heritage and traditions of many racial and ethnic groups so that
racial and cultural understanding is built educationally as well as socially. Thus ethnic and
women’s studies should be integrated into all department curriculums.
• Train staff to respond to changing populations and more varied needs, and develop programs
that raise the multi-cultural sensitivity of all participants in campus life. Policy makers from
various levels (federal, state local community, and campus) must be involved as designers and
participants in such efforts to break down deeply embedded racial/ethnic myths and
stereotypes.
26
•
•
•
•
Create positive classroom environments that promote mutual respect among students.
Increase cross-cultural interaction within classrooms through the use of small group discussions.
Create forums where homogeneous student groups can reach out to each other. For example,
universities should provide incentives for student leaders of campus organizations to spend time
together, to work together in defining the larger purposes of the institution.
Conduct a detailed study of one’s own college and university, followed by periodic examination.
Data show problems vary from campus to campus and each institution must adapt solutions
that are institutionally specific.
From University of Washington Diversity Appraisal Report,
http://depts.washington.edu/divinit/divappraisal_report_11.php
“When reports did address climate, it was equated with the number of diverse faculty or students. In
some cases, reports acknowledged nuisances of speech, behavior, and interpersonal interactions that
affect department culture. Very few mentioned normative values, priorities, and expectations as aspects
of climate.”
Examples of Good Practice
• Establishing departmental community. The College of Education reports that it continues to
address issues of diversity through faculty brown-bag seminars and special events, for example:
brown-bag discussions of recruitment for diversity among recent faculty search chairs; brownbag discussions of “teaching moments” involving diversity issues and how to use these
productively in a classroom context; and meetings with students of color and international
students. Similar activities exist in the Departments of Philosophy, Mathematics, and Speech
and Hearing Sciences.
• Establishing focused discussion on the meaning of diversity and climate. The Evans School of
Public Affairs has established “Discussion on Diversity,” a series of small potlucks for students,
faculty, and staff designed to facilitate discussions on diversity issues at the Evans School. In
each of the first two years, over 100 people participated in groups meeting at one of the 10-12
potlucks held in homes. Each group is asked to address specific questions and to document their
discussion, and the subsequent results are shared with the Evans School community. Similarly,
the School of Nursing created forums that facilitate all school stakeholders to effectively address
diversity issues. The Department of Economics also “seeks to model support and accountability
in our relationships” and does so in part by conducting departmental workshops.
• Developing a working statement on climate. The Staff Committee of the University Diversity
Council has created a Values Statement on Working Climate, which is being disseminated across
the University. The Department of Biology includes the historic Zoology Department collective
values statement on diversity as part of its strategic plan, thus providing an operational context
for ongoing assessment of climate and community.
• Providing diversity training to improve climate. Continuing education sessions and staff retreats
at Hall Health Primary Care Center explore the basis of misperceptions and conflicts based on
27
•
•
race, gender, disability, class, sexual identity/orientation, age, ethnicity, health conditions, and
indigenous status. The Residential Life Program in the Division of Student Affairs offers
comprehensive diversity training to staff members and regular training opportunities for
student leaders to explore diversity and multiculturalism.
Creating hospitable environments. Many departments have established “safe zones” that allow
GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender) students to have a safe space for interacting and
studying. The Ethnic Cultural Center and Theatre provides a welcoming gathering place for
students of all backgrounds. UW Libraries regularly mounts exhibits highlighting diverse cultures
and achievements. Hall Health Primary Care Center conducts periodic reviews of program
descriptions, signs, processes, procedures, and physical plant for cultural bias and barriers to
access.
Addressing classroom climate. The Center for Instructional Development and Research (CIDR)
works to support faculty interested in creating more inclusive courses and pedagogies. CIDR
consults with individual faculty, provides assessment tools, and houses a strong resource library
to support continued changes in teaching methods that improve classroom climate. The Evans
School has conducted workshops to help teaching staff design and lead constructive discussions
on diversity. The School has also added questions about classroom climate to course evaluation
forms.
Challenges and Recommendations
• Refining an understanding of what “climate” entails. University leaders must articulate how
historical, structural, and behavioral dimensions of climate affect interactions and opportunities
on campus and address the concerns of diverse faculty, staff, and students at every level of the
University.
• Developing open communication to produce concrete insights into climate issues. The need
remains to develop feedback mechanisms at all administrative levels so that concerns about
climate can be voiced, heard, and addressed.
• Providing institutional assessment of campus climate for staff and faculty as well as students. An
overall institutional assessment of climate would provide for insight into the many layers of
climate issues that cross campuses, disciplines, schools, and positions of power, an assessment
which might help to point the UW toward next steps in addressing diversity.
• Developing operational measures and resources for department/unit, workplace and classroom
climate. Units will be better able to assess and improve climate with specific examples of
measures and resources made available to them through workshops, seminars, and other
training opportunities.
• Offering and encouraging diversity training to all administrators and staff. Training in the
different dimensions of climate and their impact on diversity will improve the ability of all
University staff to recognize and act on the concerns of faculty, staff, and students.
• Encouraging inclusive and appropriate communications about diversity. As part of an overall
University communication plan, a review of University and unit publications, informational
materials, web sites, and messaging for inclusion of appropriate communication about diversity
will provide clearer avenues for communication about diversity matters.
28
People of Color Network at Grand Valley State University, http://www.gvsu.edu/pocn/
Mission Statement for the People of Color Network:
The People of Color Network provides a coordinated voice to address interests and concerns of GVSU
administrators, faculty and staff. This network serves as a support system for employees of color, a
vessel for disseminating pertinent and timely information throughout the network, and a catalyst in
shaping intercultural efforts at the institution. By collaborating within the larger Grand Valley
community, this network aims to ensure an inclusive and nurturing environment for working, teaching
and learning.
From the Corporation for National & Community Service, posted November 2003
http://nationalserviceresources.org/epicenter/practices/index.php?ep_action=view&web_id=33512
Note from DR: Replace “volunteers” with “diverse employees” and it seems pretty applicable to me…
Abstract
Creating a welcoming plan for volunteers is the first step in retaining them. Ensuring that volunteers feel
comfortable begins by seeing your organization from their perspective. This practice is based on
materials developed by Campaign Consultation, Inc., for the ASK to Sustain Institute held in San Diego,
California, in October, 2003.
Issue
According to a UPS Foundation study, two out of five volunteers stopped volunteering because of poor
management practices. Organizations should assess whether they are volunteer friendly to ensure
greater retention.
Action
According to Campaign Consultation, Inc., programs can create a welcoming environment for new
volunteers by implementing the following effective practices:
• Involve staff in volunteer program design. Know why your organization/initiative needs
volunteers. Identify and design valuable volunteer assignments.
• Survey staff about their feelings and attitudes regarding volunteers in their organization.
• Provide time for discussion to ensure that staff see relevance of volunteers' contribution to the
organization's mission and to staff's own work.
• Create staff "buy-in" about the importance of volunteers to the organization.
• Adopt agency policy that supports volunteers. Share the policy with volunteers and staff during
orientation.
• Implement a communication plan that includes volunteers.
29
•
•
•
•
•
Define staff and volunteer roles and responsibilities clearly. This should include job descriptions
and evaluations for volunteers.
Provide tools and training for staff to monitor and manage volunteers effectively.
Include evaluation of staff's work with volunteers in performance plans and appraisals.
Address cultural or linguistic differences in the work environment.
Make a plan for showing appreciation. This can include ideas such as making gifts for volunteers,
hosting recognition events, or spotlighting volunteers in feature stories in newsletters or local
newspapers.
Also from the CforN&CS,
http://nationalserviceresources.org/epicenter/practices/index.php?ep_action=view&ep_id=936
Abstract
A concerted and methodical approach to assessing an organization's volunteer friendliness pays off in
retention. Although this evaluation process takes effort and honesty, having trained volunteers stay can
add much to a program's success. This practice is based on materials developed by Campaign
Consultation, Inc., for the ASK to Sustain Institute held in San Diego, California, in October, 2003.
Issue
New volunteers are more likely to stay if the climate in which they find themselves is supportive of their
efforts. This won't happen without some proactive involvement on the part of program managers, staff
and other volunteers and members.
Action
According to Campaign Consultation, Inc., taking a closer look at your organization before recruiting and
orienting new volunteers can be a revelatory experience. Look around as if you were a new volunteer.
Ask yourself the following questions:
• What does a new volunteer encounter when they enter your organization?
• Physically, is it an orderly, cheerful space?
• Who greets new volunteers? Are they greeted as if guests and new team members are
welcome?
• Is there a predominant culture? How would someone who is different in some way be made to
feel comfortable?
• What is the informal culture of the organization? Who talks to whom? Do staff greet each
other? Do they talk about their lives, or is it an "all business" environment? Is there much
gossiping? Are snide comments about management or other employees made? Do they share
information about their projects or programs?
• How does the staff feel about having volunteers?
• Is there space and office equipment for volunteers?
• How do they become part of the team?
30
From “Cues to a Welcome Environment for Lesbian, Two-Spirited and GBT Clients,” April 2003
http://www.bepottawa.ca/documents/welcoming_env.pdf
(Note: This requires translation from gender/sexuality counseling into diverse employee language, but
there may be helpful tools here, especially the focus on acknowledging and respecting culture.)
Cues to a Welcome Environment For Lesbian, Two-Spirited and GBT Clients
Lesbian, Two-spirited and GBT (gay, lesbian and transgendered) people will look for cues to determine
whether they will be comfortable using your service and what information they will share. The following
cues demonstrate a welcoming atmosphere that ensures potential clients that their diversity will be
acknowledged and respected.
Advertisements and Referrals
• Before approaching your agency, prospective clients will look for cues in their communities.
They may search LGBT directories/publications for advertisements, or they may seek referrals
from friends or LGBT agencies.
• Visible Magazines, Pamphlets and Posters
• Upon arriving at your agency, a lesbian, two-spirited or GBT person will look for visible signs in
the waiting room or in your office, such as posters for LGBT events, that demonstrate that it is a
lesbian, two-spirited and GBT affirmative environment.
• Gender Neutral Language
• When deciding what information to share about their experience, lesbian, two-spirited and GBT
clients will listen for gender neutral language, such as the use of “partner” rather than
“husband”.
• Acknowledgement of Disclosure
• Clients who have disclosed that they are lesbian, two-spirited or GBT will look for
acknowledgement of the disclosure. This will demonstrate the staff member’s comfort level
with LGBT issues.
• Knowledgeable Staff
• Clients will look for evidence that the staff member is knowledgeable about LGBT issues and
connected to LGBT community resources. They will be encouraged to continue to share
information if they know that you understand their issues and are able to refer them to
additional resources if needed.
• Respectful Environment
• Clients will listen for staff to send the unambiguous message that oppressive comments or jokes
are not acceptable in your agency.
• Openly Lesbian, Two-spirited and/or GBT Staff and Clients
• Clients will look for indicators that staff, volunteers or clients are comfortable being out. For
example, a photograph of a staff member’s same sex partner or a rainbow sticker on volunteer’s
car.
31
Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention
of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculty and Staff
Appendix B
Resources on Experiences of Faculty and Staff of Color in Higher Education Institutions
SUMMARY: The research on the conditions of current higher institutions in relation to the percentage of
faculty of color, their experiences, and institution climate is abundant. The following is a limited list of
articles that speaks to the various issues of faculty of color in higher institutions. In addition to the
research finding that there is a need for more faculty of color in higher institutions, most of the articles
also have a similar conclusion: that the experiences of faculty of color are different than non-minority
faculty, specifically when examining their experiences in relation to diversity issues. Faculties of color
are:
more aware of race/ethnicity concerns on campus;
have more personal experiences with situations where race/ethnicity concerns were factors;
have more concerns with relationships with colleagues and students because of race/ethnicity
issues; and
• are more likely to be impacted on a professional and personal level (experiences of isolation,
alienation, and discrimination.)
Faculties of color also face issues of race/ethnicity concerns in relation to promotion and tenure.
•
•
•
There is limited research on the experiences of faculty of color in community colleges. There were two
articles that were noteworthy pertaining to faculty of color in community colleges and faculty of color in
the Midwest. Both articles provide reviews of both quantitative and qualitative research on the
experiences of faculty of color.
Bower, B. (2002, Summer). Campus Life for Faculty of Color: Still Strangers After All These Years?. New
Directions for Community Colleges, 2002 (118), 79.
This article presented the summaries of a survey and focus group study on the experiences of
faculty of color in community colleges. Through examining 2000 data from Center for the Study
of Community Colleges (CSCC), the researchers discovered few statistical differences between
minority faculty and non-minority faculty in relation to career advancement, professional
development, teaching and curriculum, and job satisfaction. However, there was a significant
difference between the two groups in relation to issues of discrimination on campus. Further
research through focus groups at two community colleges found that minority faculty had
concerns about how race/ethnicity: influenced their reception by colleagues and students,
negatively effected their professional well-being, and impacted their relationships with white
32
and minority students. Minority faculty members also indicated in awareness of discrimination
on campus, as well as personal encounters with discrimination.
Turner, C. S. V., Myers, S. L., and Cresswell, J. W. (1999, Jan-Feb). Exploring Underrespresentation: The
Case of faculty of Color in the Midwest. The Journal of Higher Education, 70 (1), 27-59.
This article examined the experiences of faculty of color in Midwest higher education
institutions. It provided a review of the literature of the faculty of color and summarized six
main barriers to recruitment and retention of faculty of color: 1) isolation and lack of mentoring,
2) occupational stress, 3) devaluation of “minority” research, 4) the “token hire” misconception,
5) racial and ethnic bias in recruiting and hiring, and 6) racial and ethnic bias in tenure and
promotion practices and policies. The focus of the study examined survey results, individual and
group interviews, and documentation of exemplary programs. The researchers found that: 1)
faculties of color were underrepresented; 2) three factors explained this underrepesentation
(pipeline problem: not enough qualified candidates of color for opened positions; market forces
problem: low salary income not enticing faculty of color and faculty of color graduating from
Midwest institutions but enticed by other states; and “chilly-climate” problem: lack of
supportive climates for faculty of color); 3) inadequate institutional support for faculty of color,
such as mentoring programs or professional development opportunities; 4) exemplary programs
provided fellowships, special hiring programs and contracts, and mentoring and networking
opportunities; and 5) “a healthy, supportive, rewarding environment” (p.25) that emphasized
professional growth, support for research and publication, and collegiality would enhance the
experiences of faculty of color.
There was limited research of the experiences of staff of color in higher institutions. There were a few
articles on administrators and counselors, but none on student support services personnel, as well as
other college staff members.
Selected list of resources on faculty of color experiences in higher institutions
Baez, B. (2000, April). Race-related service and faculty of color: Conceptualizing critical agency in
academe. Higher Education, 39(3), 363-391.
Baron, D. (2004, August 13). A Diverse Department. Chronicle of Higher Education, 50(49), C2-C3.
Bonner II, F. (2004, June 11). Black Professors: On the Track but Out of the Loop. Chronicle of Higher
Education, 50(40), B11-B11.
Bonner II, F. (2003, October 23). The Temple of My Unfamiliar: Faculty of Color at Predominantly White
Institutions. Black Issues in Higher Education, 20(18), 49.
33
Bower, B. (2002, Summer). Campus Life for Faculty of Color: Still Strangers After All These Years?. New
Directions for Community Colleges, 2002(118), 79.
Cain, R. A. (1982, Winter) Equal Educational Opportunity and the Community College. The Journal of
Negro Education, 51 (1), 16-28.
Manzo, K. (2000, August 21). The faculty of colors. Community College Week, 13(1), 7.
Millman, S. (2007, February 16). As MIT Studies Bias Against Minority Professors, One Begins a Hunger
Strike. Chronicle of Higher Education, 53(24), A15-A15.
Muñoz, J., Jasis, R., Young, P., & McLaren, P. (2004, September). The Hidden Curriculum of
Domestication. Urban Review, 36(3), 169-187.
Opp, R., & Gosetti, P. (2002, August). Equity for women administrators of color in 2 year colleges:
Progress and prospects. Community College Journal of Research & Practice, 26(7/8), 591-608.
Opp, R., & Gosetti, P. (2002, August). Women full-time faculty of color in 2-year colleges: A trend and
predictive analysis. Community College Journal of Research & Practice, 26(7/8), 609-627.
Peterson, N., Friedman, R., Ash, A., Franco, S., & Carr, P. (2004, March). Faculty Self Reported Experience
with Racial and Ethnic Discrimination in Academic Medicine. JGIM: Journal of General Internal
Medicine, 19(3), 259-265.
Piercy, F., Giddings, V., Allen, K., Dixon, B., Meszaros, P., & Joest, K. (2005). Improving Campus Climate to
Support Faculty Diversity and Retention: A Pilot Program for New Faculty. Innovative Higher
Education, 30(1), 53-66.
Quezada, R., & Louque, A. (2004, Winter). The absence of diversity in the academy: Faculty of color in
educational administration programs. Education, 125(2), 213-221.
Reddy, S. (2006, November 5). Hopkins protesters see little improvement: Protesters complain
conditions haven't changed over years. Baltimore Sun, The (MD.
Robertson, G. (2007, February 11). A small class of minority professors: Virginia colleges, like those
across U.S., have far to go to achieve faculty diversity. Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA).
34
Salazar, C., Herring, R., Cameron, S., & Nihlen, A. (2004, Fall). Experiences of Counselor Educators of
Color in Academe. Journal of Professional Counseling: Practice, Theory & Research, 32(2), 42-57.
Sanoff, A. (2006, September 29). A Southern Cal Program Courts Minority Professors. Chronicle of Higher
Education, 53(6), 59-59.
Smith, D., Turner, C., Osei-Kofi, N., & Richards, S. (2004, March). Interrupting the Usual: Successful
Strategies for Hiring Diverse Faculty. Journal of Higher Education, 75(2), 133-160.
Suggs, W. (2001, August 3). Top Jobs in College Sports Still Go Largely to White Men, Study Finds.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 47(47), A42.
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Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention
of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculty and Staff
Appendix C
Sample Telephone Interview Questionnaire
Telephone Interview Script:
Hello. I’m ______________ (name & institution) and am calling on behalf of a MnSCU working group.
Do you have a few moments for me to ask you a few questions? I won’t take more than 10 minutes of
your time.
I’m calling as a member of a MnSCU Luoma Action Learning Team charged with developing a plan
highlighting practices to assist in creating welcoming environments in order to increase retention of
racially and ethnically diverse faculty and staff. As we develop this plan, which focuses on 2-year
institutions in Greater Minnesota, we seek to capitalize on existing best practices throughout the
MnSCU system and be sensitive to environmental challenges. The information gathered in this phone
call will be incorporated into our plan and distributed to the colleges and universities through the
Diversity and Multiculturalism Division.
Individual and institutional responses will be anonymous and all data collected will be aggregated when
we compile our report. However we will be certain to give credit for best practices.
Can I provide any additional information before I ask a few questions?
Call Recipient: _____________________________
Phone number: ____________________________
Institution: _______________________________
Title: ____________________________________
SURVEY: http://survey.southcentral.edu/cgi-bin/rws3.pl?FORM=Luoma
1. Within the past five years, has your institution implemented any practices explicitly to create
welcoming environments in order to increase retention of racially and ethnically diverse faculty
and staff? This may include training, a committee or task force, exit interviews, a mentoring or
orientation program, a special resource allocation (for programs, professional development,
social networking, etc) or another practice from your diversity plan.
36
Follow-up questions PER PRACTICE:
a. Was this initiative specifically focused on racially and ethnically diverse faculty and staff?
b. Who coordinated this initiative? (name & contact if possible)
c. What was the focus of this project?
d. How would you rate the success of this initiative?
(poor, fair, good, excellent)
e. What resources did you use to develop this initiative? (examples include in-house expertise,
examples from other institutions, presentations, publications or other resources)
f.
What else can you tell me to help me understand this initiative?
2. In terms of creating a welcoming environment for racially and ethnically diverse faculty and staff
at your institution, what resources are you currently lacking? (examples include community
culture, campus culture, administrative support, staffing, funding, time or other resources)
3. If resources were not an issue what practices would you implement at your institution to create
a welcoming environment for racially and ethnically diverse faculty and staff?
4. What practices are you currently implementing at your institution to create a welcoming
environment to retain ALL faculty and staff (regardless of race and ethnicity)? PROBE FOR
DETAILS
If you would like to be in touch, please don't hesitate to contact any of us. We appreciate your time.
For more information about MnSCU's Luoma Leadership Academy go to:
http://www.hr.mnscu.edu/staffDevelopment/leadershipAcademy/
37
Creating Welcoming Environments to Increase Retention
of Racially and Ethnically Diverse Faculty and Staff
Appendix D
Telephone Interview Contacts
June 2008
College/University
Alexandria Technical College
Anoka Technical College
Contact
Oscar Bohorquez
MaryBeth
Christenson-Jones
Central Lakes College
Nancy Paulson
Century College
Fond du Lac Tribal &
Community College
Inverhills Community College
Minnesota State University,
Mankato
Minnesota State University,
Mankato
Minnesota State University,
Moorhead
North Hennepin Community
College
Northeast Higher Education
District
Northland Community &
Technical College
Ridgewater College
South Central College
Herbert King
Larry Anderson
St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud Technical College
Shahzad Ahmad
Deb Holstad
St. Paul College
Tom Matos
Tadael Emiru
Lori Lamb
Michael Fagin
Edward Choate
Matthew Antonio
Bosch
Stacy Johnston
Becky Lindseth
Edel Fernandez
Laural Kubat
38
Title
Chief Diversity Officer
Chief Human Resource,
Diversity, & Affirmative
Action Officer
Chief Human Resource,
Diversity, & Affirmative
Action Officer
Chief Diversity Officer
Chief Diversity Officer
Telephone Number
320-762-4410
763-576-4706
Chief Diversity Officer
Chief Human Resource
Officer
Chief Diversity Officer
651-450-8572
507-389-2015
Chief Human Resource &
Diversity Officer
Chief Diversity Officer
218-477-2066
Chief Diversity Officer
218-279-2682
Chief Human Resource &
Affirmative Action Officer
Chief Diversity Officer
Chief Human Resource &
Affirmative Action Officer
Chief Diversity Officer
Chief Human Resource,
Diversity, & Affirmative
Action Officer
Chief Diversity Officer
218-681-0844
218-855-8054
651-773-1794
218-879-0842
507-389-6125
763-424-0850
320-222-5986
507-389-7219
320-308-5151
320-308-3227
651-846-1362