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How does limited representation in tenured faculty positions impact African American adult educators and learners?
Keywords
limited representation, faculty, people of color
Session Abstract
This session will discuss how marginalized groups are affected when a limited number of faculty members are people of color, particularly African American students who make up a large percentage of the older cohorts returning to higher education (Ross-Gordon, 2005).
Session Description
The purpose of this session is to delve into the impacts of limited representation of people of color in faculty positions. Even though some colleges and universities contend that they value inclusion and diversity, African Americans are underrepresented in upper-level positions at postsecondary institutions (Kelly et al., 2017). The absence of African American faculty members reduces the probability that African American students will complete graduate and professional programs at the same rate as White American students (Ford, 2017). At a time when there are cries for social justice, postsecondary institutions must recognize the challenges people of color, particularly African American women, experience when trying to break through the glass ceiling that still exists in the professoriate. Moreover, students of colors are denied opportunities to hear voices that articulate educational experiences similar to theirs. Postsecondary institutions should understand the importance of recruiting and retaining a racially diverse faculty.