Diversifying the Pipeline: Academic and Career Experiences of Filipino American Faculty Members

• In Event: Supporting Asian Americans in Higher Education: Diversity, Resilience, and Achievement

Abstract

Though increasing attention has been paid to the career experiences of faculty of color, early studies often aggregated faculty data, which concealed potential differences between racial and ethnic groups. The few studies that have included specific experiences of faculty of color have primarily focused on African Americans, Latinos/as, and American Indians (Smith, Turner, Osei-Kofi, & Richards, 2004). Moreover, Asian American populations were sometimes left out of studies due to their small sample size, making it difficult to assess the diversity of experiences within this population by gender or ethnicity (Lee, 2002). This has contributed to the lack of data on the experiences of Asian Americans, especially in regards to faculty members. Drawing on self-efficacy and resiliency literature (Bandura, 1999; Hamill, 2003; Masten & Powell, 2003), this exploratory study examined the internal and external factors affecting the academic and career experiences of Filipino faculty members.

The study employed a qualitative research design to explore Filipino American faculty members’ perspectives on the internal and external factors that may contribute to their academic and career success. Using purposive sampling, participants were selected based on their affiliation at a four-year higher education institution (Creswell, 2009). Within the sample, participants were also chosen based on variations in gender, as well as faculty appointment (tenure track, non-tenure track, full-time, or adjunct).

Initial results from qualitative data analyses revealed that both internal and external factors of resiliency and self-efficacy contributed to the academic and career success of Filipino American faculty members. However, in the review of the participants’ responses, it would seem that external factors had a stronger influence than internal factors. Specific themes emerged including the importance of peer support, mentors, and community involvement in the participants’ perceptions of their academic and career success. Though parents were described as being relatively uninvolved beyond primary education, they still exhibited high expectations for post-secondary educational success. Other participants also expressed the importance of role modeling academic and career success for the sake of their students.

The results of this study provide a voice for a population that is seldom focused on in research related to academic and career experiences faculty of color. These results may also help institutions identify factors that may contribute to improvements in faculty hiring and retention policies, reduced turnover, and improved campus climate.

Author

• Shirlie Mae Mamaril Choe, Claremont Graduate University