Achieving Racial Equity in Higher Education: The Case for Mentoring Faculty of Color

• In Event: 67.029 - Institutional Change for Racial Equity in Higher Education: Recommendations for Necessary Action

Abstract

Racial equity, providing equal opportunities and equal access to all members of an organization, is an important topic in higher education. The imperative for racial equity is particularly important for faculty of color, who often encounter challenges with respect to recruitment and hiring, promotion and tenure, and access to mentoring relationships that can be critical to their career success. Racial equity is directly related to several issues in higher education: increasing campus-wide racial diversity, increasing the pipeline of tenured faculty of color, and increasing the retention rates of faculty of color. Higher education administrators are important to the process of facilitating a campus culture that values, promotes, and practices racial equity.
The framework presented here focuses on mentoring for pretenure faculty of color—individuals who are more likely to be underrepresented in higher education, less likely to have access to mentors, and less likely to remain in their positions throughout the promotion and tenure period. A campus-wide mentoring program for pretenure faculty of color should consider the context and the culture of the institution, as well as the individual units/colleges. The framework presented here requires that all policies, procedures, and programs be grounded in commitment, structure, and support. Additionally, a campus-wide mentoring program for pretenure faculty of color should include thoughtful planning that includes the voices of senior scholars, midlevel pretenure scholars of color, and new assistant professors of color. Further, the framework should be based on clearly stated goals and objectives and should include training for mentors.

Author

• Linda Tillman, Commissioner