ARLINGTON, VA.
Hundreds of doctoral candidates, faculty and university administrators converged on Arlington, Va., last week for the 14th annual Compact for Faculty Diversity Institute, a three-day conference on teaching and mentoring hosted by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), an educational advocacy organization based in Atlanta.
Every year the institute aims to address the shortage of racial and ethnic minority faculty members on college and university campuses nationwide. According to a recent report released by SREB, only one of out every 30 faculty members at traditionally White institutions is a person of color. Furthermore, minority students are attaining graduate degrees at far lower rates than their White counterparts.
The primary objective of this institute and every institute is to increase the number of minority students who earn doctoral degrees and become college and university faculty, SREB officials say.
The largest gathering of minority Ph.D.s and recent graduates, this year’s institute lured a record-breaking 1,100 attendees, according to Alan Richard, spokesperson for SREB. Many attendees like Dr. Rynetta S. Davis, a presidential fellow and visiting assistant professor at State University of New York Brockport, were on the hunt for permanent faculty positions during a seemingly competitive season.
“I’m not sure why I wasn’t offered a permanent position [at SUNY Brockport],” said Davis who is currently filtering through other employment options as her fellowship nears its end. “I am more than qualified. My teaching scores are off the charts. I did the research. I published and still wasn’t hired.”
