Montclair State University PCAA 2001-02
Affirmative
Action Questions for MSU Deans On Faculty Recruitment and Retention
Conducted and Prepared by
President's Commission on Affirmative Action
Recruitment and Retention Review Committee
Fall 2001
A mandate of the
President's Commission on Affirmative Action (PCAA) is to recommend to
the President special studies that identify, analyze and evaluate problems
in the employment of people in protected classes, especially women and
people of color. To further that mandate, the Recruitment and Retention
Review Committee of the PCAA agreed to focus its attention this year on
issues related to the recruitment and retention of faculty, adjuncts,
and librarians, all of whom are subject to a hiring and retention process
that differs from that for professional staff and managers.
Relevant Background Information:
Several studies have revealed the disparity in the recruitment and retention
of women faculty and faculty of color:
1. The recruitment and retention of faculty of color remains one of the
most difficult challenges facing American higher education. Research findings--whether
qualitative or quantitative, whether numerical or narrative--demonstrate
that American Indian, African American, Latino, and Asian Pacific American
faculty comprise, at most, 10% of the faculty, and many describe experiences
of racial and ethnic bias in the workplace. [Caroline Sotello Viernes
Turner, University of Minnesota Department of Educational Policy and Administration,
Keeping Our Faculty Symposium, October 18, 1998]
2. There is a body of myths which "act as barriers" to progress
in hiring and promotion of faculty of color, including [Caroline Sotello
Viernes Turner, University of Minnesota Department of Educational Policy
and Administration, Keeping Our Faculty Symposium, October 18, 1998]
-
a. Labor market myths--Myth:
institutions cannot compete for doctorates of color who are sought after
and offered high salaries; there are no qualified candidates for our faculty
position; faculty of color would not want to come to our campus; faculty
of color will leave for more money and prestige; recruiting faculty of
color takes away opportunities for potential white faculty. Response:
studies refute assertions of these labor myths.
b. Model minority myths--Myth: Asian Pacific Americans are all the same. Response: lumping Asia Pacific Americans together as one category tends to mask inequities experienced by many in this community.
c. Diversity is only for minorities myth--Myth: diversity is only in the interest of minorities. Response: it has been demonstrated that diversity benefits everyone.
d. The level playing field myth--Myth: faculty members of color have no greater requirements than other faculty. Response: countless studies document the added pressures placed on a faculty member of color in a predominantly white environment.
3. Many minority
Ph.D.s insist that they still must struggle to find positions. [Daryl
G. Smith, "Faculty Diversity When Jobs Are Scarce: Debunking the
Myths," Chronicle of Higher Education, September 6, 1996]
4. The percentage of African American full-time faculty members has remained
virtually stagnant over the last 20 years, changing from 4.4 percent in
1975 to 4.9 percent in 1997; now as then, almost half of these professors
teach at historically black institutions. [Richard Chait, Harvard Graduate
School of Education, New York Times, September 11, 2001]
5. Though the percentages of Hispanic and Asian American full-time faculty
members have doubled, they still make up a small proportion--about 2.6
percent Hispanic and 5.5 percent Asian American--of the total. [Richard
Chait, Harvard Graduate School of Education, New York Times, September
11, 2001]
6. The proportion of women among full-time faculty members doubled between
1972 and 1997, to 36 percent. But the proportion of women with tenure
has increased by a mere percentage point, from 38 percent in 1975 to 39
percent in 1995, while the gap--20 percentage points--between the proportion
of women and men with tenure has remained the same. [Richard Chait, Harvard
Graduate School of Education, New York Times, September 11, 2001]
Deans are uniquely positioned to observe and comment upon a range of successful
and less successful approaches to recruitment and retention. In Fall 2001,
members of the Committee conducted one-on-one interviews with each of
the five academic deans and the dean of the library to ascertain what
practices and processes they believe are, or would be, successful at MSU
in recruiting and retaining minority and female faculty, adjuncts and
librarians; as well as what obstacles or barriers they perceive.
Deans Interviewed:
- College of Education and Human Services
- College of Humanities and Social Sciences
- College of Science and Mathematics
- School of the Arts
- School of Business
-Sprague Library (note: items below marked with asterix [*] do not apply
to the Library).
The Committee developed a list of 16 questions; below is a summary of
responses to each.
1) How many tenure-track faculty members have you hired in the last two
years? Adjunct faculty?
There were at least 63 tenure-track faculty and 3 librarians hired in
the last 2 years. There were 104+ adjunct faculty and visiting specialists
hired. Additional one-year temporary faculty were hired, but are not considered
for purposes of retention.
2) How many tenure-track faculty members do you anticipate hiring in the
next two years? Adjunct faculty?
Deans intend to request approximately another 63 tenure-track faculty
for the coming year, 2002/2003, in response to retirements, deaths, and
growth in enrollments. Adjunct faculty will grow in proportion to full-time
increases, some anticipating at least a 12% increase.3) Have you successfully
recruited faculty of color within the last two years?
Typically, deans reported hiring few faculty of color--1-4 per unit in
the past two years. Still, each of the units has successfully recruited
faculty of color within that period, including African Americans, Africans,
Asian/Pacific Islanders, and one self-identified as "multiracial."
Unsuccessful offers were also made in several cases.
One dean elaborated, saying that, "By and large, faculty and staff
of color to whom offers have been made by MSU have not accepted our offers.
The reasons for this are principally economic but [it is] also because
persons of color who need support systems will not find one. They will
find it at other schools." This dean has encouraged the development
of such a support system by trying to get faculty of color in the college/school
to bond together, either by introducing faculty of color in the college/school
to each other or by having faculty of color work together on projects.
Concern was expressed: "We are in a geographic region that tells
me our diversity factor should be higher." A number of deans reported
that in some areas, the number of doctorates appears to be declining among
minorities.
4) Did you have
any success with the President's 2 for 1 initiative? *
Each college/school has taken advantage of the President's initiative
and continues to seek approval to fill other viable positions through
this initiative. The deans like the opportunity that this initiative affords,
but some find that it can cause problems. As one dean noted, "at
another university, the Provost was interested in increasing diversity
and mandated that the first hire would be a person of color. Faculty from
different backgrounds became very upset, because this was seen as a punishment.
The feeling among some faculty at MSU is that if the money is available
to hire additional faculty, why put stipulations on it? Although faculty
are glad to have additional lines, they must see it as an award rather
than a punishment."
At least one dean hopes "this is not a ‘band-aid' or one-year
solution, but becomes part of a long-term recruitment policy."
5) How do you
currently recruit faculty of color and/or faculty in general to achieve
diversity?
Two units indicated that all faculty members are recruited the same way,
i.e., through national/international searches. However, in addition to
generally accepted recruitment tools such as The Chronicle of Higher Education,
special outreach has been made to national projects that specifically
recruit and sponsor promising students of color to earn doctorate degrees
in their fields. Several, if not all, units have advertised in Black Issues
in Higher Education and in the Hispanic Outlook Journal, but some deans
reported that advertising through these publications has not made a difference:
candidates appear to look in professional/academic publications for position
announcements, rather than other special publications. Indeed, some observed
that they had never seen anything recouped from such special targeted
advertising. Some major academic publications offer special diversity
hiring issues, including online publications and services.
In several units, mention was made of the use of mailing lists from societies
that represent minorities in the respective professions. Some have found
that the only strategy that has paid off is the use of personal mailings,
e.g., to historically black doctoral programs for recommendations, or
to recruit faculty away from them.
One dean said that in addition to placing position ads in the standard
professional journals, they use a range of professional listserves, noting
that national and regional professional associations maintain such listserves,
as do caucuses of these associations that are targeted to various ethnic
groups, e.g., African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic/Latino(-a), Native
American. Indeed, the listserves appear to be better for attracting interest
than the print publications aimed at these target groups.
"The most successful recruitment efforts are done person to person,"
said one dean, adding that, "faculty [members] who know other faculty
and actively recruit them, but actually getting faculty to come to MSU
is more complex." In some units, staff and faculty are encouraged
to network with acquaintances and colleagues elsewhere; at least one dean
principally relies upon such "word of mouth," considering it
a better and more culturally appropriate method of reaching faculty of
color than advertising. "Personal networking seems especially helpful
in demonstrating that we genuinely want applications from people of color
and aren't just paying lip service to such efforts. It helps get across
the message that this is a good place to work, and that . . . the campus
is diverse and welcoming." Another dean observed: "We strongly
encourage them to be active in these ‘special interest' caucuses
of the national and regional associations, but we have to be sensitive
about this too, as sometimes people feel that too much pressure to be
involved with such groups reflects your ‘pigeon-holing' them. People
can get fed up with being ‘representatives.'"
One dean suggested sending out recruiting teams composed of one "mainstream"
and one faculty member of color, showing that the University is interested
in developing a diversified faculty and not just interested in "meeting
quotas." Another noted: "You have to show in some way that you
are doing what others are not doing, that you're serious about efforts
to recruit a diverse faculty, that you are a friendly place. That includes
writing to established minority professors elsewhere, soliciting their
help; asking our own faculty to prospect with people they know, and to
be active in outreach efforts, at professional meetings and so forth;
inviting people of color to the campus for activities, programs, or as
speakers. We have to get the word out that this already is a diverse place,
and welcoming of diversity for the value it adds to the whole. People
of color who did not accept our offers, did so for personal reasons, not
because we weren't attractive to them."
6) What recruitment
methods do you think should be employed?
Although at least one dean was unaware of other recruitment methods that
could be successfully employed at MSU, there was general agreement that
"You have to be aggressive in letting it be known that this is a
quality place that respects and rewards merit--that they will find it
welcoming and rewarding of their diversity, but that this is not the only
reason they're being recruited." Toward this end, one dean noted
that, "People of color and women should be encouraged to be active
in professional associations in general, and in special interest caucuses
if they have the inclination. However, the dean added, "It's important
to be sensitive to the possibility that they might feel they are being
pressured, or are over-committed. They should be offered funding to travel
to conferences and related events, and provided with funding for membership
fees and so forth if they wish to join such organizations and groups.
This kind of support burnishes the reputation of both the individual and
the institution, sending the message that people are valued members of
the academic community and of the university, and making us more attractive
to the potential candidate pool."
One dean was not a fan of doing targeted ads because of a demonstrated
lack of success in using them, but is a fan of targeted mailings, especially
to places that have minority graduates or faculty. "People respond
to them. We need better data about what it is that applicants are responding
to. Perhaps a special number with a slightly different code (e.g., V36A)
could be used to help get this data."
Another dean stressed that it is critical for faculty of color to find
a colleague with whom to bond, particularly one who can help the new faculty
member determine relevant issues about the culture of MSU and of Northern
New Jersey and how one best meets one's own cultural needs in the University
and in the community in which the faculty member eventually lives. The
dean thinks that MSU needs to make sure that whatever support for finding
housing, etc., is sensitive to the particular faculty member's culture.
Indeed, recruitment efforts should clarify for candidates the college/school's
commitment to social justice and meeting the needs of a diverse society,
said another dean; adding, "Deans should also be open regarding particular
issues that faculty of color may face and to be honest in communicating
with potential candidates." Another recruitment method that has been
successful is to have department Chairs contact the desired candidate(s)
in person rather than communicating by form letters.
It was speculated that, "There seems to be some geographical clustering
of people of color that may affect our ability to recruit them--a lot
of African-American candidates coming from schools in the South, for example,
and maybe there is a tendency not to look far away from New Jersey for
placements. Perhaps we need outreach to schools in those areas."
7) What are some
successful recruitment and retention strategies to achieve diversity used
by other units on campus apart from yours?
"Mentoring is critical," deans generally agreed. "If we
have individuals of similar backgrounds and a good teacher, there should
be mentoring," qualified one dean. A dean suggested that mentoring
of new faculty should be done by sharing reappointment and promotion papers
with new faculty and openly discussing what may be potential areas of
weakness. Another stated that, "Creating a critical mass of members
of the particular category is important for symbolic, functional, and
cultural reasons. It really works." One said that the basic approach
should be to develop relationships with potential candidates rather than
waiting until there is an available faculty line. Strategies to assist
minority faculty with scholarly development was considered for retention.
One dean said, there needs to be open dialogue when "addressing race
explicitly. Most of the deans agreed that "‘quick movement on
offers' is vital, or the best candidates are snatched away." While
most deans reported that there has been some discussion of these matters
in Deans' Council, it was considered very general.
8) What are some
successful recruitment and retention strategies to achieve diversity used
by units on other campuses apart from yours?
"Getting the diversity in the applicant pool is the important part.
This is relatively easy for entry-level or generalist positions, but not
in all specialized or technical areas," said one dean. However, a
dean noted that, "[A leading professional] association is now developing
an initiative intended to draw more people of color into the ‘pipeline'
with fellowships, scholarships, and similar outreach efforts, and this
should work to our advantage when we recruit." There is difficulty
when many people come to a profession through some other career path,
i.e., they don't start college with the particular field in mind, but
often make a mid-life change or career change.
"Offering post doctoral opportunities is a good way to open the door
to diverse faculty," said a dean. "We can offer recent graduates
opportunities to enter academia and get to know them as they gain knowledge
and experience." Another dean felt that successful strategies "provide
opportunities for people of color to interact with mainstream faculty."
A dean observed at other institutions that "once more than one person
in a protected class was on campus, an almost geometric progression set
in--people no longer felt that they were unusually visible, and they wanted
to stay. Retention is very important--it's less of a drain on resources
to keep good people than to keep trying to recruit new ones." Still,
"retention is affected by the reality that until people are on something
of a level playing field, they will inevitably be at risk of having too
many service requirements placed on their shoulders--the committee service
double bind that all junior faculty struggle with is sometimes aggravated
for people of color and women because their contributions are sought by
so many committees. And this service component is not always properly
credited."
Yet another dean observed that, "[a previous university] has a sense
of community, so they do not have to work hard at retention. Establishing
and maintaining a sense of community is important. We need to celebrate
our community among faculty and students within the college/school at
MSU. Currently, the college/school is not a community."
9) What procedural
obstacles do you face in recruitment of applicants of color? For example,
does bundling ads for various positions cause a problem in this regard?
Generally, deans were not aware of any procedural obstacles and found
no problem bundling ads; however, sometimes there have been delays in
getting notices placed in various media. Several reported that salary
is the biggest obstacle in attracting candidates. One stated that, "procedural
obstacles are more related to time lines of searches if the committees
are unable to meet promptly and candidates go to other universities."
Another dean stated that the only obstacle he was aware of is the perception
of the environment that the candidate may be entering.
A dean reported that, "the faculty . . . feel they have support at
the college/school level but not at the University level." It was
felt that aspects of current support systems are not adequate to recruit
faculty of color who are "stars," especially noting that there
is no mechanism to provide special incentives in terms of more money,
more resources and support, or encouragement for creative projects for
such faculty. Indeed, one dean felt that the faculty contract frequently
is interpreted in ways that prevent creative and individualized solutions
to recruiting faculty of color, i.e., one cannot develop a targeted support
package that works for a particular faculty member.
10) What attitudes
must be overcome among current faculty in order to better achieve diversity?
Responses suggest that deans typically do not discuss this issue with
faculty, but believe that attitudes are positive. However, one dean noted
that, "The classic notion is that everyone "knows the yardstick"
by which people should be evaluated, but that yardstick may be biased
toward white males who are more likely to be able to accumulate traditional
academic achievements." The dean explained, "Women and minorities
find themselves saddled with many more work and non-work social obligations
that can militate against achieving in traditional areas. Women may be
disproportionately affected by this, at least if quantity of production
is the measure, because they still typically face greater expectations
in terms of their personal commitments, and may be affected by child-bearing
and raising. It's the ‘quality' of the work that should be held constant,
and their promise for future productivity." This dean believes that
there is a need for a program to sensitize mainstream faculty/staff to
these issues of diversity.
Another dean felt that there is the tendency to want to hire only people
who have acquired credentialing through the leading professional association's,
which militates against candidates educated abroad. It was also noted
that some of the older, longer-serving faculty have occasionally shown
a degree of insensitivity about language, e.g., using ‘handicapped'
rather than ‘disabled.' Women with a "traditionally feminine"
appearance seem to get a more positive response than other candidates.
There have been some disturbing statements surrounding gender identity
and sexual orientation, especially about gay couples. "The blindness
of awareness of issues related to ‘white privilege' . . . is an issue
that needs to be addressed" and is addressed in this college through
lectures and workshops," said a dean. "However, there are always
people who behave in a non-collegial manner", the dean continued.
Still, largely the reports suggest little tension or disagreements of
an ethnic nature, with most faculty and staff seeming to work well together
as a diverse group.
11) What do you
do to ensure Affirmative Action efforts are made by your departments?
Generally, deans follow the guidelines provided on Affirmative Action
by MSU. One dean said of past experience, "Basically I had a series
of hurtles for any job search. Affirmative Action was buried in the search
procedures. The university mandated ads in targeted journals, but I also
made personal phone calls and mailed personal letters to minority sources.
Minorities need to hear about the communities they are to enter. In fact,
an adjustment needs to be made in the perceptions of the campus at MSU."
Another dean advised, "The biggest thing is to meet with search committees
to ensure that the right message is going out. After that, it's important
to emphasize respectful treatment of all candidates. I'm not saying hire
minority candidates at any cost, but if there is a qualified minority
candidate in the pool, I urge them to look closely and consider carefully.
You have to move quickly . . . with your top candidates, regardless of
race, let them know you're interested, seriously so, and be sure to keep
them on the hook. They're looking elsewhere too--it's important that they
feel they're real candidates to you."
At least one dean specifically addresses the value of diversity and its
benefits to the University when faculty search committees meet with Barbara
Milton for her presentation on the AA/EEO guidelines, emphasizing the
expectation that diversity should be a consideration in their work. "Sometimes
the committees raise questions as to the weight they should place on affirmative
action considerations throughout the process. I emphasize that candidate
quality is their first consideration, but that they should examine candidates
who might not immediately or obviously seem ‘perfect' with AA/EEO
guidelines in mind. Is this a person who may have faced more obstacles
because of sex, race, etc? If so, does the person show promise of being
able to accomplish as much in this position as someone who might have
made the first cut?"
12) What, if any,
incentives should be offered to candidates for faculty and staff positions
who are people of color?
Some deans felt that no special incentives should be offered. "We
are going to get the best candidate we can by offering the best package
that we can. I don't care who the candidate is." One dean said, "We
make offers based upon market factors--if people of color are scarce,
we may pay more to get them, just as we would for any qualified candidate
in a discipline where the pool is limited and candidates are scarce."
This thought was echoed by another who insisted that, "Money continues
to be the central issue. Salaries need to be higher to attract qualified
staff, particularly faculty of color." Another dean queried, "How
can you give incentives and yet ensure that you're being fair to everyone?"
The dean suggested that this could be done by "perhaps funding membership
in additional professional associations or special caucuses; finding additional
travel money; help with subscriptions or the like to special publications.
Salary adjustments, however, don't seem wise or equitable." However,
one dean felt that loan forgiveness would be a strong initiative for faculty
of color.
13) How are your faculty and/or staff prepared, encouraged, and supported
to recruit people of color?
"An academic community is a mosaic; diversity contributes to forming
the entire package," said one dean. "But I am not sure that
faculty are aware of the benefits of diversity. The faculty may need to
be strengthened in regard to this understanding." Another, noted,
"I try to stress the value of diversity in achieving our educational
mission--and most people see that as a legitimate concern. The only point
at which there may be a problem is when issues of merit are raised, but
scrupulous attention to fair treatment allays that concern." Another
dean concluded that existing faculty members are prepared to recruit new
faculty of color through "open communication, retreats, lectures,
and workshops."
Yet, another dean observed, "There are a surprising number of very
insular people here [among] faculty staff and students alike, especially
those from the local area. This area [is] much more provincial than I
would have expected, given its closeness to New York City and the diversity
of the region, but many people seem to have had limited exposure to other
religious traditions [and] other ethnic groups than their own."
14) Would a standard
promotional packet be helpful and, if so, what should be in it? *
All agreed that a standard promotional packet would be helpful, especially
including information about the University's location, facilities, and
positive work environment. There was the feeling that there should be
one for the University, which the colleges/schools and departments could
supplement.
"This package could go to any applicant being considered for an interview,"
said one dean. "We could send such a package to specially targeted
individuals. All of the standard and slick stuff should be in the packet.
Probably, some of the data should be in a pamphlet that summarizes who
we are. Much of this is already on the website. Maybe we should develop
a disk with everything on it instead of a huge packet. It would certainly
be cheaper to send it." As another dean said, "Most people get
the information one way or another, but things emphasizing the quality
of the University and its faculty, the quality of teaching and scholarship
as well as the degree of support and respect that these get from the administration
should be readily available. Housing information and information about
the resources of the area would be good--designed to combat common stereotypes
about New Jersey and its amenities, outlining the wealth of cultural and
recreational opportunities in the area, which are really superb. The variety
and diversity of the Montclair area should be emphasized."
The recommendation was made that there should also be information about
the local communities, including cultural and religious and educational
institutions in the area, help with understanding the characteristics
of local communities, information about transportation options, as well
as facts about the diversity of the area and the demographics of our staff,
faculty and students.
15) When discussing
a position with a candidate, do you specifically address the fact that
MSU does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in hiring,
re-appointment, and tenure decisions?
All said "No." One dean observed that, "What I've experienced
is that there has been an openness on the part of candidates about issues
that reflect their relationships, although this hasn't been explicitly
about non-heterosexual relationships." Another dean felt that it
would not help recruitment. Instead, the focus should be on sensitizing
the mainstream, especially through required workshops on "working
in a diverse workforce."
16) When discussing
salary offers, do you inform all candidates that MSU does not provide
the same package of benefits to faculty and staff with non-traditional
[non-married] families, but does provide some benefits?
All but one dean said "No." Benefits are discussed generally.
Some deans felt that more information would be helpful to them in addressing
these issues with candidates.
Based on the Deans'
Survey, the following conclusions and recommendations are suggested:
During the searches for future faculty there will be the opportunity to
improve diversity at MSU. Generally, the deans do not regard the shortage
of qualified minority candidates to be a myth. Racial issues tend not
to be discussed among faculty and faculty may not be aware of the benefits
of diversity. Deans regarded the President's initiative for minority applicants
as a very positive support to their efforts. However, some deans felt
that there should be no special incentives for minority applicants themselves.
Recommendations Suggested by the Deans' Survey:
- Continue the President's initiative
- Develop a faculty mentoring program
- Develop targeted mailings, especially to places that have minority graduates
or faculty
- Develop support systems for minority faculty
- Establish and maintain a sense of community
-Use a range of professional listserves
-Send out recruiting teams
-Have department chairs contact the desired candidate(s) in person
-Develop and distribute a standard promotional packet or CD-ROM for recruitment
- Educate deans about benefits to non-traditional [non-married] families
so that they may inform candidates
- Critically examine criteria used in hiring and promotion to ensure that
they do not advantage one group over another