Introduction to Special Issue: Diverse Faculty in Higher Education: Relentless in Search of the Holy Grail of Academia

Abstract

After a half decade of struggle since the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S., what is the current state of diversity among faculty in higher education? Have the numbers of diverse faculty increased? Do diverse faculty members feel accepted and successful? How are diverse faculty members faring in their various roles in higher education? The special issue editors have completed the pilot study of a larger survey that queries the state of diverse faculty in higher education in the United States. Investigation included the areas of belonging (if and how a sense of belonging is developed), professional respect (how colleagues regard achievements), and the role of cultural broker (if and how functioning as a cultural broker influences peers, administrators, and/or diverse students). In addition to the results of the preliminary survey reported by the survey authors, diverse faculty members, both foreign-born and native-born, from various universities in the U. S. have added their personal experiences of struggle and triumph in the field of higher education.