Present, Yet Invisible: Exploring the Experiences of Muslim Women Faculty in U.S. Higher Education Institutions

• In Event: Advancing Critical Education of Muslim Students and Scholars: Social Justice Research in Community

Abstract

1. Objectives
This presentation centers on the experiences of Muslim women faculty (MWF), an often overlooked and critically understudied population in higher education scholarship. Despite a growing Muslim population in the U.S. (Grammich et al., 2023), extant studies often address Muslim faculty through deficit-based lenses that focus on Islamophobia, ignoring the wealth of knowledge and experience these educators bring to academia. This study challenges those limited narratives by exploring how MWF negotiate their identities within predominantly White, male-dominated academic institutions. Through a phenomenological research design, the presentation shares stories that expose structural inequities while also foregrounding resistance, advocacy, and pedagogical contributions.
2. Perspective(s)
This study utilized MusCrit, a sub-framework of Critical Race Theory that centers the lived realities of Muslim Americans (Ali, 2022). While MusCrit puts forth six tenets, this study focused specifically on the tenets of gender, identifiability, and the ubiquity of anti-Muslim oppressive structures. These three tenets guided the analysis of how Muslim women faculty resist marginalization, claim space, and engage in acts of intellectual and professional survival.
3. Methods
A phenomenological research design was employed for this study, which emphasizes participant voice and honors lived experiences (Creswell & Creswell, 2022). As Muslim women faculty are so often marginalized, othered, and even vilified (Ali, 2022; Karaman & Christian, 2020), it was vital to center participant voices and experiences in the research. Four Muslim women working in various higher education contexts were interviewed regarding their experiences as faculty members in the U.S.
4. Data sources
Participants were from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds and occupied various faculty roles, including adjunct professor, non-tenure-track faculty, and tenured faculty. Data was collected via one-time, individual semi-structured interviews conducted on Zoom. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed thematically. Validity was ensured through triangulation of data, notetaking/memoing, and clarification of bias.
5. Results and/or substantiated conclusions or warrants for arguments/point of view
Key themes included inequities in diversity practices, the persistence of Islamophobia, and the critical role of connection and community. Findings suggest that institutions must reassess whether their diversity commitments are equitably upheld, especially as visibly Muslim faculty report being tokenized. With anti-Muslim bias on the rise, institutions of higher education must address this growing concern. Additionally, while mentorship is vital for tenure and promotion, it remains insufficient for many minoritized faculty. Institutions should prioritize meaningful, culturally responsive mentorship to better support underrepresented groups.
6. Scientific
The scholarly significance of this study lies in its contribution to the limited body of research on Muslim women faculty in U.S. institutions of higher education, as they are an understudied group that occupy the intersection of gender, religion, race, and often immigrant status. By applying MusCrit as the framework, the study offers a nuanced, intersectional understanding of how systemic inequities, Islamophobia, and tokenization shape the academic lives of Muslim women faculty. It challenges dominant, deficit-based narratives and expands critical discourse around faculty diversity, inclusion, and resistance. The findings advance scholarship on equity in higher education and call for structural changes that center the voices and needs of multiply marginalized educators, promoting a more just and inclusive academic landscape.

Author

• Hina Rehman, Rutgers University