First-Year Faculty of Color: Narratives about Entering the Academy

Abstract

The experiences of first-year, tenure-track faculty have been missing in the literature about new or junior faculty. Furthermore, the extant literature about new faculty does not offer a critical outlook on how oppressive institutional structures shape how first-year faculty of color approach faculty work. Drawing from analytical narratives, the authors reframe how doctoral student socialization and new-faculty support systems are discussed, especially pertaining to firstyear faculty of color. In doing so, and utilizing narrative inquiry as a methodological framework, the authors draw out the distinct voices of new faculty of color. The implications offered are important for scholars who study faculty experiences and for faculty advisors to doctoral students interested in the professoriate. Our interest in social justice-focused teaching and research started as students in the same doctoral program. There, as students of color at a predominately-White university, our perspectives on scholarship oftentimes conflicted with institutional norms. As a result, we found each other as a key source of support in cultivating our interests. As emerging scholars, research on graduate students of color was insightful, and it validated our approach to create a community of support (see Brown, Davis, & McClendon, 1999; Gay, 2004). However, our transition from doctoral students directly into tenure-track faculty roles was abrupt. We sought support from each other-former classmates who had moved on to faculty positions at different institutions during the same academic year. Together, we first searched for an understanding of our new role as captured in the literature. We drew from the research to better understand the general undercurrents of the faculty of color experience, which is generally marked by unwelcoming college environments, relatively greater service demands, and the marginalization of our scholarly contributions (e.g.

The International Descriptive Study of Effective Methods for the Recruitment and the Retention of Faculty in the United States

“…These attitudes reflect color blindness and post-racial era thinking (Wilder et al, 2015). Institutions, however, can counteract this type of thinking by hosting social events and discussions about diversity and success to provide a welcoming environment for faculty of color (Cole et al, 2017).…”

“…The lack of experienced faculty of color makes it difficult for new faculty of color to connect with colleagues and form mentoring relationships (Abdul-Raheem, 2016). Cole et al (2017) indicated that mentors help faculty of color acclimate to their institutional environments and offer guidance that teaches new faculty the ins and outs of the institution. It goes a long way in learning the institution's culture and learning the necessary steps for promotion and tenure.…”

“…New faculty, especially faculty of color, often experience high levels of stress and mixed messages of expectations. Providing additional support for faculty of color includes addressing the common issues of racism, tokenism, and hostile campus environments (Cole et al, 2017). Kelly et al (2017) cited that many American faculty faced criticism and judgements towards their credibility based on being an opportunity hire.…”

Professor Beware: Liberating Faculty Voices of Color Working in Predominantly White Institutions and Geographic Settings

“…Pertinent to the study at hand, explored the lives of pre-tenure faculty of color in educational leadership (n = 12) and learned many faculty of color experienced a "double consciousness" described as being necessary to navigate "the politics of the dominant White, male culture of their departments" while exploring their "personal racialized identities as a form of resistance to the status quo" (p. 131). Cole et al (2017) articulated personal narratives of three first-year faculty of color and emphasized the importance of peer and colleague groups, social media networks, and multiple forms of institutional support-including emails, coffee dates, and 5-min conversations-that greatly supported new faculty of color in tenure-track positions. Specific to faculty of color in higher education departments (n = 20), J. M. Johnson et al (2018) also found social networks to be valuable sources of support for faculty of color navigating PWIs.…”

An Exploration of Two Novice Evaluation Educators’ Experiences Developing and Implementing Introduction to Evaluation Courses

“…Reflection is an honored tradition in evaluation and evaluators are encouraged to reflect upon our practice (Kallemeyn, Hall, Friche, & McReynolds, 2015). Novice faculty have found that reflection, included within larger narrative inquiry research, can assist with the venture of grooming scholars into faculty (Cole, McGowan, & Zerquera, 2017). We encourage novice and seasoned evaluation educators alike, to not only familiarize themselves with teaching evaluation literature but also to systematically reflect upon their experiences as they develop and implement evaluation courses.…”