The population of the United States has become more racially diverse, particularly in the last three decades. During the same timeframe, educational matriculation and attainment as it relates to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees have increased for all racial groups (Lorelle et al., 2019). It would be a natural progression to expect that the faculty would be as diverse as the student body.

Unfortunately, despite the increase in the diversification of students pursuing higher education and successfully attaining degrees, the proportion of people of color that hold tenured faculty positions remains low (Finkelstein et al., 2016; Gibbs et al., 2016). In 2017, 80.9 percent of professors, 75.7 percent of associate professors, and 77.2 percent of assistant professors with tenure at two-year and four-year degree-granting institutions in the United States were White (Almanac of Higher Education 2019-20, 2019). “On average, out of every 100 full-time faculty members, only five are black, four are Hispanic, and fewer than one is Native American” (The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2018, pg. 6). There is no doubt that the academic higher education community, as a whole,  has not been able to adequately diversify the faculty. (Nevarez, Graham, & Wood, 2017). The purpose of this article is to identify the ways in which diversity among higher education faculty benefit the educational process and support student success. Diversity can be defined by various characteristics and experiences. For this article, faculty diversity refers to a person’s ethnic/racial background (e.g., White/Caucasian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latina/o, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander).

The benefits of Faculty Diversity: A Framework

It is well established that a diverse faculty has a vastly positive impact on the student experience. Figure 1 illustrates a conceptual framework outlining the benefits accrued from faculty diversity, which fall under six main themes: a) leading for social justice; b) developing an inclusive school culture; c) supporting a culturally relevant pedagogy; d) serving as cultural translators and transformers; e) providing role models; and (f) providing benefits to White students. 

Social justice focuses on the fairness of the distribution of resources through countering inequities. It promotes liberation across multiple fronts (i.e., policies, curriculum, instruction, campus culture, and hiring and retention). Adams and Bargerhuff (2005) assert that faculty diversity strengthens students’ intellectual, moral, and civic development. Further, students in institutions with a diverse faculty reported increased personal commitment to promoting racial understanding and justice (Astin, 1993). 

Develoing an inclusive school culture

Researchers have found that campus cultures improve when faculty of color are recruited, encouraged, and supported by the university (Allen & Solorzano, 2001). An inclusive culture institutionalizes cultural characteristics, languages, communication styles, attitudes, experiences, and values. An essential component of such inclusion is developing a safe and flourishing environment. A meta-analysis conducted by Pettigrew and Tropp (2006) found that intergroup connections reduced prejudice and enhanced positive relationships cross-culturally. Faculty from diverse backgrounds can facilitate dialogue and allow students to hear the perspectives and approaches from their diverse classmates while validating their identities and self-worth.  

Culturally relevant pedagogy

Culturally relevant pedagogy empowers students to uphold their cultural identities and ask what role they have in creating a truly democratic society (Christ & Sharma, 2018; Ladson Billings & Henry, 1990). Studies have found that diverse faculty are more likely than male and White faculty members to incorporate readings about race and ethnicity or gender in their curriculum (Deo, 2011; Nelson Laird, 2011; Reason, Cox, Lutovsky, Quaye, & Terenzini, 2010). According to Quiocho and Rios (2000), the delivery of culturally relevant pedagogy is intrinsic to faculty of color who possess a cultural understanding of the educational needs of students of color (p. 522).

Cultural translators & transformers

Cultural translators are diverse faculty who aid majority faculty as well as their respective educational institutions in the process of cultural understanding, communication, and engagement with students, parents, and diverse communities (Eubanks & Weaver, 1999; Villegas & Clewell, 1998). Similarly, cultural brokers are diverse faculty who aid students and their parents in the process of cultural understanding, communication, and engagement with majority faculty and educational institutions to remove barriers to academic achievement (Clewell & Villegas, 2001; Villegas & Lucas, 2002). Cultural transformers are faculty who enact principles of cultural translators and brokers within their practice and serve actively as agents for equitable change.

Role models

Faculty of color are able to relate to students of color and provide them with encouragement as well as mentorship due to shared lived experience (Cole & Barber, 2003; Smith, 1989). By having role models in faculty of color, students of color are able to improve their schooling outcomes and develop career goals (Cole & Barber, 2003; Hurtado et al., 1999; Smith, 1989). Additionally, one of the benefits of having diverse faculty as role models to diverse students is that they have high expectations regarding ability, discipline, and future aspirations.

Benefits accrued by White students Scholars posit that diverse faculty improve educational outcomes for all students, not only students of color (Adams & Bargerhuff, 2005; Alger, 1999; Turner, 2000). Having diverse faculty provides White students with the preparation necessary for careers in an increasingly globalized economy (Black Issues in Higher Education, 2003). Diverse faculty increase students’ awareness of cultural differences (Daufin, 2001; Astin, 1993) and breakdown stereotypes through their instruction, research, and service activities (Alger, 1999).

Deliberate efforts to increase faculty diversity

Faculty diversity must be demonstrated by a commitment from executive educational leaders and should be considered a top policy priority. Educational leaders and campus constituents can develop and implement system-wide strategic policy plans that can serve as tools to hold campuses accountable for increasing and retaining diverse faculty. Elements within the developed strategic plans to diversify and retain the faculty workforce should include: a) developing and conducting climate surveys related to faculty diversity; b) using creative methods to recruit, hire, and retain diverse teachers; c) ensuring that the search committees are diverse as well as the applicant pool; and d) training search committees on Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and working with the human resource departments to create consistent interview and hiring processes. Greater efforts to develop a high quality, representative pool of faculty from diverse backgrounds will serve as a major step in facilitating student success. •

Author Bio: Carlos Nevarez, Ph.D. is Chair of Graduate & Professional Studies in Education at California State University, Sacramento. Nevarez is passionate about studying the role leaders play in advancing student success. His productivity with this line of scholarship has afforded him opportunities to regularly share his research.