What does it take to retain Black faculty at colleges and universities? The Black experience among faculty in higher education inevitably involves many challenges. Historically, many colleges and universities have failed to meet the needs of Black faculty. The lack of diversity has led to invisible labor, which includes Black faculty providing extended university and student services that often go unnoticed by university leadership. Faculty of color are asked to participate on more university committees than White faculty so that campus leadership can point to the committees as proof of diversity and inclusion efforts. Further, students of color are quickly drawn to the presence of Black faculty and often formally and informally seek their mentorship, which only increases the invisible labor workload.
Yet perhaps the most concerning aspect of these issues is that universities fail to consider this additional work relevant enough for Black faculty to be awarded tenure. Collectively, these other service obligations mean that Black faculty have less time for research than their White colleagues but are expected to perform just as well, or even better, to receive tenure and promotion. This lack of consideration within university processes creates a tumultuous path toward success for many faculty members of color.
In recent years, many colleges and universities have begun to increase efforts to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Many such efforts respond to the national discourse surrounding race relations that has led to internal pressures from students and faculty, pushing university administrations to make notable changes. For example, Columbia University has been praised for improving its racial climate by being the first university in the U.S. to create an African American Advocacy Group and allocating $85 million specifically for Black faculty recruitment and retention.
Although many institutions, such as Columbia, have improved their efforts, retaining Black faculty continues to be a significant challenge. National data show glaring disparities in this trend. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Black faculty comprise roughly 6 percent of all faculty in colleges and universities, despite representing 13 percent of the national population. Eight percent of junior faculty are Black, with 5 percent of assistant professors being Black women and 3 percent being Black men. These numbers drop as professorial ranks increase. Only 4 percent of full professors are Black, evenly split at 2 percent each for Black men and women. This drop-off is especially significant for Black women, who comprise 5 percent of assistant professors compared to 3 percent for Black men.
Many Black academics have shared experiences that may explain retention issues among peers. In an Inside Higher Ed article, for instance, Colleen Flaherty shares the experiences of various Black academics. One of the challenges highlighted in the article is the failure to increase the number of Black faculty over the years, although institutions had promised to do so.
Another issue is that many Black academics are underpaid and overworked. These conditions partially exist because Black faculty are drastically outnumbered compared to Black students. Notably, a recent Pew Research article highlights how Black faculty comprise 6 percent of the college population compared to 14 percent for Black students. These numbers indicate a more substantial need for Black faculty to meet Black students’ needs, as research has shown that having Black faculty increases success rates for Black students.
Black faculty have also expressed a need for greater cultural understanding and sensitivity within institutions. This need is reflected in data that have shown significant gaps in satisfaction scores between Black and White faculty. As one example, Black faculty are less likely (55 percent) than White faculty (73 percent) to feel satisfied with diversity and inclusion efforts on their respective college campuses. Specifically, Black women report higher rates of mistreatment and negative experiences at institutions. The dissatisfaction of Black women is supported by overall differences in treatment in the higher education workplace and their lower percentages of achieving tenure.
As the above realities show, the experiences of Black faculty demonstrate that, within higher education, more needs to be done to establish true diversity, equity, and inclusion. Below are recommendations on what institutions of higher learning can do to improve retention by creating richer experiences and outcomes for Black faculty.
Diversity: Increasing Numbers
Colleges and universities should seek to improve the percentages of Black faculty, which can be achieved in three key ways.
First, institutions can develop a pipeline and relationships with minority-serving programs and schools well before prospective students complete graduate school. Building relationships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities can increase exposure and interest from students of color. Developing undergraduate programs similar to the Big Ten Alliance’s Summer Research Opportunities Programs and the McNair Scholars Program that target underrepresented students will provide resources and research opportunities that prepare students for doctoral programs. Similarly, this dynamic can also be replicated for graduate students (e.g., SUNY’s PRODiG faculty recruitment program) to increase campus diversity.
Second, faculty search committees must ensure their hiring practices and standards are equitable. Access to employment opportunities is the first step to increasing the number of Black faculty. Improving diversity efforts will be moot if institutions’ hiring practices are not structured to mitigate systemic biases. In a 2019 study, Damani White-Lewis found that many hiring practices at universities lead to homophily or the continued hiring of the same type of academic. He argues that academic “fit,” which typically prioritizes scholarship production above all else, serves as a barrier to improving diversity in college departments. White-Lewis recommends that search committees instead develop equitable criteria and rubrics. He also suggests that committees broaden meaningful criteria beyond research considerations.
Third, cluster hiring has proven to effectively recruit underrepresented faculty at institutions that have very few faculty of color. It is common for only one or two Black faculty members to work in a department or college. Cluster hires therefore allow colleges to bring a cohort of Black faculty in at the same rank to increase levels of support and decrease feelings of alienation, hopefully leading to greater retention. If universities are serious about increasing diversity, they must be sensitive to the type of environment faculty of color will enter. This strategy can especially help Black women, who experience some of the most unique challenges in the academic world.
Equity: “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is”
Some colleges and universities fail to recognize the differences between equality and equity. Equality means that individuals or groups are given the same resources and opportunities. Equity realizes that people have different circumstances and experiences and thus offers the appropriate resources and opportunities that lead to equal outcomes. Institutions often clearly articulate DEI goals within university diversity statements but fail to allocate the proper resources to accomplish those tasks.
Equitable resources should be provided if a school recognizes that Black faculty will experience more invisible labor, implicit bias, and alienation. Data have consistently shown that Black faculty are underpaid compared to their White colleagues, even though the road to tenure includes additional challenges for Black faculty. Schools should offer above-average salaries to faculty they are trying to recruit to improve diversity, especially for universities located in predominately White areas. Appropriate compensation communicates to prospective faculty that the institution recognizes the added labor and challenges that come with the role.
Universities should also compensate Black faculty members who currently and historically have accepted any additional responsibilities that enrich the campus environment. Fairly treating and paying the Black faculty at a school will help boost recruitment and retention efforts. That boost may often come through the common practice of prospective Black faculty seeking the opinions of other Black faculty members currently at the institution. The more satisfied existing Black faculty are within their positions, the easier it is for the relevant universities to recruit additional Black faculty.
Finally, any school seeking to increase diversity should have available funds that support the needs of Black faculty and students. The funds can be used to support any of the invisible labor and diversity-related work undertaken by faculty of color. In many instances, schools will ask Black faculty to assist with diversity-related programming and strategy without offering any financial compensation. Then, those same institutions will hire or financially compensate an external “expert” for similar work and programming. Black faculty should always be paid when they are expected to help improve diversity and enrich the campus culture.
Beyond direct compensation, some colleges have also created cultural centers, such as Purdue University’s Black Cultural Center, that offer specific programming, scholarship, networking, and peace in sometimes-hostile racial environments. Cultural centers not only become a revered space for Black students and faculty, but also increase retention and success rates.
Inclusion: “Increasing Numbers Ain’t Enough”
One of the leading reasons for dissatisfaction among Black faculty is the lack of an inclusive campus environment. Many college campuses fail to create a safe and welcoming culture for faculty and students of color. Therefore, universities must acknowledge and address the many barriers the Black professoriate may encounter to increase retention rates.
Universities should reassess reappointment, tenure, and promotion (RTP) guidelines to ensure they are explicitly rewarding the invisible labor of Black faculty. The university service of Black faculty contributes to enriching the experiences of the entire campus population. This service also means that Black faculty may have less time for research and writing than their White counterparts. RTP committees must therefore seriously consider invisible labor and diversity enrichment.
Yet inclusivity is not just about increasing the number of Black faculty while ignoring inclusivity in administrative roles. Every college and university must also diversify campus leadership. Research has shown that diverse leadership and decision-making dramatically benefit institutions’ overall success and return on investment. Moreover, diversity in leadership lessens the chances for implicit and explicit biases and promotes a stronger sense of cultural awareness.
Institutions that successfully increase the number of Black faculty and create a positive racial climate experience the highest retention rates. A 2018 study by Emily Vargas and colleagues labeled schools with strong numerical diversity and racial climates as institutions with authentic diversity. The authors found that universities with either poor numerical diversity or a poor racial climate had higher dissatisfaction levels from Black faculty. However, at authentically diverse institutions, Black faculty had similar satisfaction levels as their White colleagues. Colleges and universities must therefore establish a structure that can successfully recruit and retain Black faculty.
Conclusion
The mission of every higher educational institution should be to create a culturally rich environment that exemplifies fairness and equity for students. At any institution of higher learning, the experiences and presence of Black faculty members will raise the quality of the campus environment. However, colleges and universities must demonstrate their ability to retain Black faculty by genuinely prioritizing equitable resources. The only way to truly deliver on the promises mentioned in every university diversity statement is to respond to the unique experiences of Black men and women by dedicating unwavering institutional support. Rather than promoting diversity as a politically safe idea or buzzword, universities must begin to acknowledge that DEI is—and has always been—radical action.
Any opinions expressed in the articles in this publication are those of the author and not the American Sociological Association.
