Harvey “Skip” Davis, RN, PhD, switched from full-time student to full-time nursing educator this year after completing his doctorate last summer. Then, he says, his education began in earnest.
“The transition has been daunting at times,” the San Francisco State University assistant professor admits. “The amount of actual work required between teaching, serving on committees and my research has been the biggest surprise. Teaching a class is actually the easiest thing I do.”
In addition, Davis is the only person of color on the nursing faculty and one of only two men.
That situation is all too common at many of the nation’s nursing schools, but it’s slowly beginning to change. Today, more and more academic institutions are aggressively seeking out racial, ethnic and gender minority nursing faculty, just as they’re trying equally hard to diversify their student populations.
For minority nurses who are just starting out as faculty members, getting on the right career path in academia requires navigational skills that Magellan would have envied. Should you choose a tenure- or non-tenure-track position? Would you be happier at a historically minority-serving institution? Will your college support your research efforts?
Completing a graduate degree is, of course, the first step toward getting on the faculty career track. After that, many different doors are open to you. Entering the right one is critical, not only for your professional advancement but also for your personal fulfillment. Just be sure to keep your expectations realistic.
Alone in a Crowd
Because nurses of color and male nurses are still extremely underrepresented in the ranks of nursing school faculty, many minority junior faculty starting out their careers at majority schools are likely to find themselves in a position similar to Davis’. While you would think that the enlightened, intellectual halls of academe would be free from prejudice and discrimination, the unfortunate reality is that this isn’t always the case. Davis knew this and he set out to find a university that would welcome him not only as a nurse educator but also as an African-American man. His first priority, however, was to become part of a high-quality educational institution, and SFSU’s reputation among area health care providers for graduating well-prepared nurses was the initial attraction. He looked at several schools, though, to make sure his gender wouldn’t hamper his career progress.
“Male faculty members need to ask questions to make sure you avoid [schools that aren’t welcoming to men],” he explains. “I’m pretty straight to the point. I ask if there’s a feminist philosophy. Do that and listen to the various responses you receive from members of a search committee. You’ll be able to figure out quickly if men are welcome.”
While it’s advice heard often, nursing education leaders recommend that minority faculty members who are victims of bias speak up and work within the institutional framework to address the issue. Begin with your supervisor or, if that’s not feasible, with the equal opportunity officer of the division or the college.
Minority professors looking for a completely prejudice-free campus, though, are unlikely to find it. “Sometimes you may feel that no matter how much you do, it’s never going to be enough to achieve the status of your non-minority colleagues. Just do the best you can do, give it 100% and then let it go,” advises Barbara Broome, RN, PhD, CNS, assistant dean and chair of community/mental health nursing at the University of South Alabama College of Nursing in Mobile. She is also president of the Association of Black Nursing Faculty.
The faculty lounge is not the only place on campus where minority professors may encounter insensitivity based on race or gender. Roxanne Struthers, RN, PhD, has the luxury of being one of three American Indian nursing faculty members at the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis. Still, she often faces an entirely Caucasian classroom.
“The student body is often very monocultural and that’s hard sometimes for faculty,” she says. “It’s important to know how to teach about [other cultures] and how to be proactive to help students understand. They’re not going to get it from their classmates.”
Struthers, an assistant professor in nursing and an adjunct professor in the university’s American Indian Studies department, encourages other minority faculty to take advantage of their captive audience and view it as an opportunity to educate majority students about minority cultures. One way to do that, she adds, is simply by making yourself available and listening to questions with a nonjudgmental attitude. “Encourage questions even though they may not be politically correct or may even seem uncomfortable or out of the ordinary.”
Struthers also refuses to let student attitudes influence her own. “One of the things I notice about students,” she says, “is that because I am a member of a minority group and they are not, they have a tendency to act as if I’m invisible. They go on and on talking about everything under the sun as though I’m not even there. It’s as though they think I’m not on their level. I just delve into class when that happens. I don’t say anything and I don’t let myself get frustrated.”
Historically Minority Schools: A Haven for Minority Faculty?
Teaching in a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) or a Tribal College or University (TCU) may seem like the perfect alternative for professors of color who want to avoid the potential for prejudice they might find at a majority school. But while choosing this option may increase your comfort level on campus, it doesn’t completely banish the specter of discrimination. Majority nurses are often unaware of the rich academic and social traditions of historically minority institutions and may incorrectly perceive those schools–and their faculty–as second-rate.
“There’s a misconception that because a school is historically black, there’s always an open admission policy or that students come here because they can’t make it in a majority institution,” says Alma Dixon, RN, EdD, MPH, dean of nursing at Bethune-Cookman College, a historically black college in Daytona Beach, Florida. “That’s simply not true.”
Most students, she argues, are drawn to HBCUs because of their academic excellence, the nurturing environment and the strong traditions. In fact, many students choose to attend them because of the positive experiences their parents had as students at historically black colleges.
“Certain sororities and fraternities are well-recognized within the black community and are only present on black campuses,” Dixon emphasizes. “People come here to share in that experience and tradition. That’s why I want my son to go to a historically black college.”
Teaching at a traditionally minority nursing school offers many rewards, but also presents its own unique challenges. Because these institutions are typically smaller schools, one of the biggest challenges, says Dixon, is staying financially sound. While no one becomes a nursing professor to get rich, faculty members and administrators at financially strapped universities often must stretch to make sure the budget can cover the entire semester.
“At a historically black college, you’re always mindful of money, “ Dixon explains. “You are always aware of what things cost. My colleagues at several state institutions are facing this now for the first time. You have to carefully weigh which conferences you’re going to attend. Traveling needs to be very cost effective, so that may mean two faculty members sharing a room or driving instead of flying.”
An indirect benefit of tight budget constraints is a constant focus on student retention. Dixon says that’s common to all private institutions, not just historically minority schools.
“In private institutions, you are always aware of how tuition translates into revenue,” she adds. “There’s a greater focus on retaining students and that creates a challenge in and of itself: keeping students while still maintaining your commitment to academic excellence.”
Getting the Right Fit
Teaching at a university that’s not a good fit for your interests and your style can be far more uncomfortable than wearing shoes that are a size too small. Dixon believes the most important thing to do when shopping around for a teaching position is to first do a thorough self-analysis.
“You have to know what you’re looking for and what your interests are,” she says. “Then, if you’re comparing different faculty positions, you need to know what the mission of the school is and how that plays out. Research may be stressed at one college, service at another.”
Most schools value a combination of teaching, research and service, but not necessarily in that order. You need to look at how your working hours will be allotted to determine which of those three will be most important.
“At our school, teaching is more important than service and research,” Dixon continues. “Here, you’re expected to have so many teaching hours and so many office hours. If you have a research project that’s going to take up three days every week, it would never work at this school because of the teaching and nurturing demands.”
Antonia Villarruel, RN, PhD, FAAN, associate professor and director of the Center for Health Promotion at the University of Michigan School of Nursing in Ann Arbor, says it’s important to make sure you know all the details about the school’s faculty evaluation system before walking into the classroom.
“I am fortunate to be at a place where being a director is not just an added responsibility. It’s considered part of my workload,” she comments. “That’s an indication of the school’s commitment to my research.”
Indeed, one of the reasons why Villarruel, a past president of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, accepted the position at the University of Michigan is because the school allows her to grow in her specialty areas, which are preventing HIV infection in Latino youth and health promotion. “If a university tells you they value research and then gives you a very heavy teaching load, it’s going to be tough for you if you want to do research,” she says.
Dixon also advises beginning faculty to watch out for red flags that may signal hidden problems at the school. One example would be a low passing rate on the NCLEX-RNâ exam.
“This is a hard thing for us to talk about,” she says, “but you need to find out what the student success rate is. If the school is struggling with constant program reports to the board of nursing, that’s going to be an intense cloud hanging over the institution. I would want to know about problems like that before I signed on. At least going in I would know where the focus is. I would expect a lot of my energy to be consumed in making sure students pass that exam.”
Tenure: The Brass Ring?
Davis has just completed his first year in a track that will eventually lead him to tenure, that magical milestone sought and treasured by most faculty members.
“It’s a big rite of passage,” says Villarruel. “Every faculty member has a ‘tenure story’ to tell. The destination is the same but the journey is different. Everyone has encountered different roadblocks and figured out different paths.” She encourages minority faculty to share their stories as a way of learning from each other.
Most tenure tracks are seven years long. To reach tenure, professors are usually required to show excellence in the areas of teaching, scholarship and service to the university.
Teaching excellence can be measured in several different ways, the most common being the dreaded student evaluations. Some schools also evaluate faculty on the basis of student performance on standardized tests and use peer evaluations.
Scholarship means a track record in research and it is usually measured in two ways. First, faculty members are encouraged to bring grant money for research projects into the university. Second, they’re expected to publish their research results.
“Some people say that the research project isn’t finished until the articles are published,” says Villarruel. “You can have a wonderful project but if the world doesn’t know about it, it’s a moot exercise.”
Service can be measured in many ways and can mean different things at different institutions. “At some schools, it can be service to a professional organization,” Villarruel explains. “At others, it has to be service at the university. So it’s very important to know how you will be evaluated.”
While tenure is still highly valued, it has lost some of its glitter in recent years. Today, tenured professors no longer have reason to relax and stop worrying about having to prove themselves.
“In the past, tenure did bring a certain sense of job security and a certain amount of prestige,” says Villarruel. “Now, universities do post-tenure reviews and evaluations. You still have to do research and publish and continuing performing at the expected level.”
If the pressures associated with becoming tenured seem too stressful for you, or if you’d rather skip the research and service aspects of faculty positions, Broome suggests you consider a non-tenure track.
“Be aware of all the different roles and options that are available to you in academia,” she counsels. “Going into a non-tenured track allows you to focus only on teaching and clinicals.”
Broome does, however, caution new instructors to realize what they are giving up by not pursuing a tenure track. Non-tenure teaching tracks offer very limited, if any, research or publishing opportunities. Teaching loads will be very heavy, reducing time available to participate in other aspects of university life. Non-tenured faculty may also be paid less and be the last to be considered for professional development opportunities.
Aiming Higher
While many nurse educators thrive on daily classroom interaction with students, for others the classroom is just the beginning. A career in academia can offer minority nursing faculty many opportunities to advance into administrative and leadership roles, including department chair, dean, curriculum developer and education policy-maker.
“I love teaching, but I wanted to do more,” says Broome. While she has only been an assistant dean for a little over a year, she’s very pleased to have moved up to a position that allows her to have some influence on the future of nursing education.
“It’s good to be involved in helping to make changes that will benefit students,” she continues. “I also have the opportunity to be supportive of faculty and I am in a position to be an advocate for them.”
Broome advises junior faculty hoping to climb the academic career ladder to do so in small steps. One the most important breaks in her career came when she relocated to the University of South Alabama to assume a chair position.
Both Broome and Dixon credit previous clinical managerial positions with helping them develop the leadership skills needed to succeed in academia’s higher levels.
“Having a leadership position in a hospital gave me a clear view of the practicing environment of nursing, and I’ve never lost sight of it,” Dixon explains. “You do need a strong clinical experience [even in an academic setting].”
She also advises nursing faculty members to leave the security of the nursing department and venture out into other areas of the campus. For example, she says, get involved with university-wide faculty senates, seek out committee assignments that match your interests, and network with non-nursing faculty.
However, just as administrative experience and leadership skills can help you rise to a new role, making a few critical mistakes will block your path. One of the biggest “don’ts,” says Broome, is burning your bridges behind you.
“Nursing is a very small world,” she cautions, “especially when that world is narrowed down to minority faculty members. There are still so few of us that you will practically get to meet most of them during your career. Never forget where you came from. It’s been said that you meet the same people on the way down that you passed on the way up, and I think that’s true.”
Getting Along
In the business world, the process of fitting in with your employer’s company philosophy, goals and style is known as “navigating the corporate culture.” Similarly, every academic institution has its own personality and it’s the wise faculty member that learns its rules early. Perhaps even more important is learning how you function inside those rules, which are often unwritten.
Playing politics, though, can derail your career and your enjoyment of training future nurses.
“Don’t get caught up in things that may not pertain to you or in things you cannot control,” says Villarruel. “As a faculty member, you have enough on your mind.”
Broome advises junior faculty members to find other instructors with whom they can build networks of support. Alliances, after all, aren’t just limited to reality TV shows.
“Faculty circles do have cliques,” she says. “There are certain people you will be able to work well with regardless of color and you should seek those people out and form alliances to further your work.”
Still, if you are a racial or gender minority faculty member teaching at a majority school, it’s empowering to be able to network with colleagues who look like you. But since this is not always possible, all of the educators interviewed for this article stress the importance of becoming involved in minority nursing associations.
Davis encourages young faculty members not to overlook the opportunity to learn from nurses who are different from you. He says he’s grown and benefited from the support of many female nurses. “The reality is that this is a woman-dominated field,” he adds. “You will find many willing mentors who are women and have different things to offer. Just listen and take what you think will work for you.”
The year 2012 marks the 50th anniversary for graduates of the Class of 1962. You’ll often hear graduates say, “We’ve made it!” to celebrate their accomplishments over the years. Yet, some graduates move through life never realizing the “it” they have made is of historical significance. The 1,700 graduates of the Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing indeed left their mark on the world, and each individual’s contributions should be preserved to inspire generations unborn.
A bit of history
The graduates of Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing (FHSN), and Howard University (HU), share an inimitable history honoring blacks in nursing, including African Americans and people of the African diaspora. This relationship was established under the direction of the United States federal government. The purpose was to train black nurses to care for freed slaves around the city of Washington, D.C.
Howard University Training School for Nurses (HUTSN) was established in 1893 and transitioned to Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing in 1894. Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, the first interracial U.S. surgeon, founded the Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing in 1894. (Incidentally, Dr. Williams also founded the first U.S. interracial hospital, Provident.) All of the esteemed faculty were master’s prepared in nursing, most graduates of Freedmen’s themselves, and with numerous achievements between them. It remained a “cooperating institution,” awarding approximately 1,587 diplomas to nurses, until its close in the early 1970s.
Freedman’s Hospital was directly linked to the post–Civil War federal Freedmen’s Bureau, established to provide emergency medical care to the many former slaves settling around the capital. Congress eventually transferred the Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing to Howard University in 1967. The School of Nursing was phased out not long after, admitting its last class in 1970, graduating them in 1973. From 1974 to present, Howard University has awarded the Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Here we document the history of this relationship and the contributions of some alumnae to inspire future generations to new levels of success.
Notable alumnae
Fifty years ago, 35 graduates of Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing, in cooperation with Howard University, began their journey in nursing. They made, and continue to make, a profound impact on the history of black nurses and the profession of nursing. The historical significance of these 33 black women and two men is collected here to honor the graduates.
The Howard University 1962 yearbook, The Bison, has names, pictures, and documentation of those who received diplomas. It is one of the few printed works and testaments to the individuals who made and continue to help preserve the earlier history of black nurses. Some stories of the students, staff, and faculty members have been recorded and rewarded, and other contributions have yet to be immortalized.
Mary Elizabeth Carnegie
“In 1893, Howard University in Washington, D.C., established the first nursing program in a university setting—16 years before the similar and flagship program began at the University of Minnesota,” wrote Mary Elizabeth Carnegie in her 1986 publication The Path We Tread: Blacks in Nursing, 1854–1984. Dr. Carnegie cited the relationship between Howard University and Freedmen’s to exemplify how black nurses and their impact in health care had been ignored. Her contribution to that legacy was to publish a comprehensive history of black nurses. Much of Dr. Carnegie’s work features the life experiences of graduates from Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing and Howard University. One such experience was the Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc., a national sorority of registered professional nurses and nursing students. This organization was incorporated by Freedmen’s graduates and physicians of the Freedmen’s Hospital/Howard University complex. Dr. Carnegie, in her writing, acknowledges the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University, and Joyce Elmore in helping her preserve the history of black nurses.
Joyce Ann Elmore (Archer), R.N., B.S.N., M.S.N., Ph.D.
One of Dr. Carnegie’s compatriots in nursing, Joyce Ann Elmore, R.N., B.S.N., M.S.N., Ph.D., graduated from Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing in 1958. In 1965, Joyce wrote an unpublished master’s dissertation, A History of Freedmen’s Hospital Training School for Nurses in Washington, D.C. 1894–1909. She published “Black Nurses: Their Service and Their Struggles” for the American Journal of Nursing in 1976. In 1990, Joyce worked to establish the M. Elizabeth Carnegie Endowed Chair at Howard University’s College of Nursing.
The Freedmen’s Hospital Nurses Alumni Club’s Triennial Reunion The Freedmen’s Hospital Nurses Alumni Club’s Triennial Reunion is scheduled for June 21–24, 2012, in Washington, D.C. The Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing Class of 1962, along with the Classes of 1960 and 1961, will be honored for 50 years of nursing service. The plans are to give special recognition to military service members. The reunion committee (including Salonie B. Turner, R.N.; Kathy E. Senior, R.N.; and Lawrence C. Washington, R.N., M.S.N.) hope to attract the attention of potential FHSN contributors, classmates, classmates’ family members, and other supporters to preserve the history of black nurses. To contact them with news and stories, and for more information regarding the event, e-mail [email protected].
Dr. Elmore’s contributions to medicine and the nursing profession varied greatly, but her dedication to the profession of nursing remained the same. She began her career as an administrative assistant to the director of the audio/visual aid section at Howard University’s College of Medicine. Dr. Elmore then served as the Assistant Director of Nursing Education at FHSN. In addition to those positions, the years saw her doing consulting work at Howard University; serving as the Director of the American Nurses Association Department of Nursing Education; working at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C.; teaching as an adjunct nursing professor; and much more. Some of her many honors and awards include a 1973 Community Service Award for Outstanding Service to District of Columbia; a 1980 Commendation Medal from the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps for Exemplary Performance of Duty; and countless other awards commemorating her nursing practice, community service, and research. Howard University hosted a dinner gala in 2006 to further honor Dr. Elmore’s life and work.
Dr. Joyce Ann Elmore Archer, as a lifelong member of the Freedmen’s Hospital Nurse’s Alumni Club, Inc., worked with other alumni to make, write, and preserve the historical contributions of graduates from FHSN and HU, and of black nurses everywhere. She retired as an 06, having served commendably in the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps. Ida C. Robinson, a mentor and coworker, says Joyce was a phenomenal person who set an example for all to emulate. Dr. Elmore’s lifeworks ended with her death on June 15, 2009.
Ida C. Robinson, R.N., M.S.N.
The life story of Ida C. Robinson, R.N., M.S.N., would be incomplete without details of her many contributions in creating and preserving history of the Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing. Mrs. Robinson was the Director of Nursing Education at FHSN when the nursing program transitioned to Howard University in June 1973. In this position Mrs. Robinson suggested “a directory of all graduates would be beneficial for historical reasons, as well as provide valuable information and service the alumni.” On April 19, 1971, Staff Assistant Iris L. Morton Fagan and others began a manual audit of 2,307 files, which was completed on June 12, 1972. Mrs. Robinson’s thoughts and deeds were always focused on preserving history. She continues to do so working with the Freedmen’s Hospital Nurses Alumni Club, Inc., and Howard University. She is 92 years old. In 2010, Mrs. Robinson was awarded the Doctorate of Humane Letters by The Catholic University of America.
About the Author
Lawrence C. Washington, R.N., M.S.N.
Colonel, Retired, Army Nurse Corps
It’s a unique occasion when an author’s accomplishments mirror that of his or her subjects. Here we look at the life of the man who sought to keep the memory of this historic class of nurses alive.
A native of Washington, D.C., Lawrence C. Washington earned a diploma in nursing from Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The University of Maryland in Baltimore, and a Master of Science in Nursing from The Catholic University of America, also in Washington, D.C.
Colonel Washington’s health career began in 1954 as a medical aidman with the rank of private, and his active service ended the first time in 1987, as the Acting Chief Nurse of William Beaumont Army Medical Center with the rank of colonel. Highlights of his 27 years of distinguished active military service include many “firsts” of his gender, professional specialty, and ethnicity. Washington was the first male Army Nurse Corps officer to receive a commission in the Regular Army of the United States; the first black male Army Nurse Corps officer to be promoted to the rank of colonel; and the first black male nurse to be selected, attend, and receive certification for residency education at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
Among his teaching credentials, Washington has served as a clinical instructor and skills supervisor in psychiatric nursing for the University Of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio: School Of Nursing; an assistant professor and adjunct faculty member for clinical pediatric nursing at Columbia Union College (now Washington Adventist University); an assistant professor at Howard University College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Health Sciences (now two separate schools, pharmacy, and nursing and allied health); and an assistant professor at Louisiana State University in New Orleans, among other academic endeavors.
While serving as a commonwealth assistant professor at George Mason University College of Nursing and Health Science, Washington became the program coordinator of the Saudi-U.S. University Project. There he also lectured and provided clinical supervision in health assessment, leadership and management, long-term care, and community-based health promotion and disease prevention. He was also a member of the University’s Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations committee.
Washington’s awards and recognitions include the following: United States Legion of Merit, Three Meritorious Service Medals, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Order of Military Medical Merit, and an Expert Field Medical Badge.
He has held membership in The American Nurses Association, American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, Army Nurses Corps Association, Charter Member of Improvement Science Research Network, American Legion, Military Officers Association of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, and The Society for Organizational Learning.
The summit of Washington’s life is to bear witness to the transformation of the lives of his wife of 53 years; their five children, 11 grandchildren, and four great grandchildren; his students; and himself, as they all move from abecedarians to professionals. “With great pride in his knowledge of God, understanding of his country, and unwavering devotion to duty,” he says. “On the wings of the spirit of service is borne the unselfish commitment to a successful life.”
Most colleges and universities have strategic plans that articulate goals to strengthen faculty search procedures to increase the diversity of their staff. While such goals are important, they have come under attack in the past, even needing legal support. For example, Justice Sandra Day O’Conner in her Supreme Court majority opinion clearly communicated that the skills needed in today’s global market can only be developed by exposing students to “widely diverse people, cultures, ideas, and viewpoints.”1 The Association of American Universities has long communicated that diversity experiences not only enhance the education quality and outcomes of students from underrepresented populations, but of all students.2
The Sullivan Commission on Diversity in the Healthcare Workforce articulated that the health professions of the United States have not kept pace with changing demographics and may be more directly related to disparities in health access, status, and outcomes than the overall lack of health insurance. With minority populations projected to become the majority by 2050, health disparities may continue to worsen if health care professionals do not become more reflective of the populations they serve.3 The diversity challenge is even greater in the academic settings that educate undergraduate and graduate nurses. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing reported that less than 10% of faculty in baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs are from underrepresented groups, with 5.6% African Americans, 1.5% Hispanics, 1.9% Asian, and less than 1% American Indian/Alaskan Native documented.4
The lack of minority nurse educators communicates to students and communities of color that the profession does not value diversity. Lacking mentors and role models to support and enhance their education, students from underrepresented populations may not recognize the professional opportunities that exist for faculty in higher education, and the academic leadership that is needed from a diverse nursing workforce to eliminate health disparities in the 21st century.
The growing multicultural world that all student nurses enter requires exposure to a diverse faculty who bring varying research perspectives, pedagogy, and life experiences to the classroom, the laboratory, health systems, and the surrounding community. A critical need exists to create, implement, and evaluate blueprints for action that will attract, retain, support, and promote the leadership and success of faculty from underrepresented populations in schools of nursing. Action steps to be considered in blueprints should strive to:
Increase the applicant/pipeline pool of diverse faculty candidates from underrepresented populations
Promote a climate of diversity
Market for diversity
Prepare search committees to review diverse candidates
Retain diverse faculty
Increase the applicant pool
U.S. colleges and universities are educating a larger and more diverse group of students than ever before. According to the Educational Testing Service, student diversity will increasingly evolve over the next decade, with 80% of the anticipated 2.6 million new college students from underrepresented populations, including African Americans, Hispanics, Asian/Pacific Islanders, or American Indians. Undergraduate minority students enrolled in colleges and universities will increase from 29.4%–37.2%.5,6 Most recently, the report on the future of nursing acknowledged the need to respond to the under-representation of racial and ethnic minority groups, including men, in the nursing workforce.7
While a steady increase in the minority university student population has occurred, similar diversification among university faculty has not happened.8 Faculty diversification not only attracts diverse students, thus increasing the applicant pool and supporting academic program growth, but it also contributes directly to the quality of student education. Diverse faculty expose students to a wider range of scholarly perspectives and ideas that build on a variety of life experiences, create intellectual stimulation with new research questions, and foster fresh perspectives in the academic enterprise. Diversification is also the right action, not only from a social justice perspective, but based on business.9 The corporate world has long accepted a mandate that they must expand markets to serve diverse communities to survive in a competitive environment.
Action steps
A number of changes are needed to increase the applicant pool, such as developing partnerships with minority-serving institutions and establishing alumni directories of doctorally prepared minority graduates for consideration in post-doctoral or visiting scholar appointments. This action will promote scholarship and research of mutual interest to the scholar, the school, and the community.
Metrics should include memorandums of understanding with individual colleges or universities with results measured by the number of candidates identified from partnering institutions for recommendation to search committees. To assure the success of these partnerships with minority-serving institutions, ambassador programs could be developed by assigning faculty members to communicate and represent their respective schools of nursing at designated partner institutions.
Faculty who teach at these institutions could be invited to do a presentation and talk about promising students for post-doctoral consideration through a faculty exchange initiative. Schools of nursing must set aside resources to support minority scholars in residence as well. Finally, an academic faculty network should be considered so introductions can be made through the network to administrators from underrepresented populations at member institutions.
Promote a climate of diversity
While organizational climate has a range of definitions, Baird suggests common descriptors include friendliness, hostility, or acceptance.10 Organizational climate includes the current attitudes, behaviors, and standards/practices that concern the access to, inclusion of, and level of respect for individual and group needs, abilities, and potential. This definition includes all groups, not just those who have been traditionally excluded or underserved by colleges and universities.5
If a school of nursing is to succeed in terms of the retention and recruitment of faculty of color, it must embrace diversity. Turner and Myers report that faculty of color leave for many reasons, including hostile environments—a major factor discouraging potential applicants.6 In contrast, a school of nursing that provides an environment that supports the success of diverse faculty is attractive and facilitates recruitment and retention. Research has shown that endorsement from leaders provides credibility for such programs.11 It’s important that administrative support is reflected by publicly rewarding departments, divisions, and units who demonstrate measurable improvement. Support from the top and rewards for increasing diversity have been shown to be the two key factors that determine the success of diversity programs.12
Action Steps
Fostering assessment and accountability must begin with a faculty diversity climate survey and should include an exit survey for those that leave. Faculty surveys should include both quantitative and qualitative data that measures the diversity climate within the school of nursing. Results should be reported through school departments and discussed in faculty meetings with recommendations to the faculty at large, as well as search committees, specifically.
Activities that promote a supportive climate should be identified through departments and the faculty panel discussion. The PBS film Shattering the Silences: Minority Professors Break Into the Ivory Tower could be shown at department meetings, followed by faculty discussions led by a diversity expert. A panel discussion focused on faculty diversity should be a yearly faculty event. It is also recommended that faculty who have led and created activities that support a climate of diversity receive merit recognition from those administrators held accountable for achieving faculty diversity in their departments.
Resources should be established to conduct climate surveys and maintain an office of diversity to assure that planning, implementation, and evaluation occur. Ideally, a faculty leader who is also a member of the dean’s leadership team would coordinate these activities. This nurse faculty leader should provide a vision and structure for faculty initiatives that will not only support the inclusive climate needed for recruitment, retention, and promotion of diverse underrepresented faculty but that will involve the entire school in a program that sets achievable and measurable goals with a business plan.
As research is needed to investigate diversity, equity, and climate beyond race and ethnicity to include differentials in power and privilege, external research support through federal, foundational, and private grant mechanism should be explored. The diversity office should address the need to continue to support and develop academic programs that focus on issues of diversity, underserved populations, and societal disparities, which will attract diverse faculty and scholars. Pilot research on faculty climate could also be supported through these mechanisms; then a larger study could be launched with funds sought through the National Institute of General Medical Science, an NIH program.
Marketing for diversity
Communicating a school’s commitment to diversity, whether through conferences, national meetings, publications, posters, brochures, and/or official websites, ensures the transparency of the school’s diversity recruitment goals. Business research shows diversity marketing reduces turnover costs and inspires a desire to be part of a dynamic and responsive team. It also helps institutions win the competition for talent by attracting, retaining, and promoting faculty and leadership from underrepresented populations. Organizations cited as the best places for employment by diverse underrepresented groups also experience an increase in applications.13 Furthermore, research has shown endorsement from the organization’s leadership brings credibility to diversity programs and influences attitude change.11
Sullivan (2007) underlined the critical role academic leaders play in successful diversity programs. These leaders must create a culture within their academic units that supports the implementation of a strategic plan—one that establishes goals, defines success, and fosters accountability, best practices, and financial resources.14
Action steps
Schools of nursing can maintain a diversity website that links to the school’s departmental sites. This site must communicate that diversity in the organization is critical to the recruitment of faculty from underrepresented groups. It should also showcase the successes of faculty from underrepresented populations in research, teaching a diverse student body, collaborating with university faculty and diverse communities, and scholarly achievements.
An interactive school of nursing Facebook page reflecting the diversity of the school’s leadership team, faculty, and students is also needed for effective marketing. It should be updated on a regular basis and evaluated by the number of hits and links made by browsers. A member of the school’s leadership team should be designated to work with appropriate media resources to maintain and update an interactive website that showcases the school’s successful recruitment, retention, and promotion of diversity.
Strengthen the search committee’s success
Nationally, hundreds of campuses are engaged in competitive efforts to diversify their faculties in response to external and internal pressures. Yet, according to Caroline Sotello Viernes Turner, in her book Diversifying the Faculty: A Guidebook for Search Committees, five prevalent myths have hindered the hiring process of ethnically, racially, and gender underrepresented diverse faculty.15
Good minority faculty only go to the best universities.
To hire minorities, standards must be lowered.
Minorities prefer the private sector.
Espousing equal opportunity doctrine is sufficient.
Minorities will not go to predominantly white institutions.
Research published in the Journal of Higher Education in 2004 showed that among institutions with predominantly white populations, the hiring of faculty from underrepresented groups occurs when at least one of the following three conditions are met. First, the job description explicitly engages diversity at the department level. Second, an institutional “special hire” strategy is used, such as waiver of a search, target of opportunity hire, or spousal hire. Third, the search is conducted by an ethnically/racially diverse search committee.16 Search committees often approach their charge in a passive, routine way (i.e., advertise the position in publications, evaluate résumés, invite three to five candidates for campus interviews, and then make an offer).
To address the need to recruit faculty from underrepresented racial/ethnic or gender diverse populations in a school of nursing, the search committee must take a more proactive approach to finding candidates from such populations. All steps taken during the search process can contribute to a solid foundation for the successful retention of diverse faculty hired as well as ongoing successful recruitment into the future.
Viernes Turner writes that schools of nursing should focus on eight action steps to form successful hiring committees:15
Diversify the search committee itself.
Educate the search committee on personnel issues and prepare the members through an annual retreat.
Debunk the myths listed above.
Create tailored position descriptions.
Attract diverse candidate pools.
Examine hiring biases.
Host campus visits
Make the offer.
The campus visit is also a critical moment of opportunity that allows the candidate to make a well-informed decision on whether the position and the school of nursing is a right fit. Evaluation forms should be provided to all campus parties involved in the visit and discussed by the committee. Asking the candidate to comment on the process will also provide the school’s search committee with information to improve the process for subsequent campus visits. It is important to not only evaluate the candidate, but also the search committee process, in order to improve the chances of reaching the desired outcome.
Action Steps
First, assuring that the composition of the search committee has different points of view is critical to its success. Members who represent diverse populations must be appointed.
Next, preparing the committee through a yearly retreat that addresses unconscious hiring bias and debunking of myths must be used in conjunction with current university guidelines to prepare new members and refresh returning members for the year’s goals. An annual search committee evaluation plan should be implemented to review the effectiveness of the diversity recruitment process. Metrics should include a percentage increase of the diversity applications and a percentage increase in hires.
Departments then need to conduct their own hiring patterns audit, examining the tenure track and associated clinical and research faculty patterns. At the annual evaluation discussion of department recruitment needs, a diversity recruitment plan must be developed and sent to the search committee prior at the beginning of the academic year.
Finally, a departmental diversity awards program will need to be established to acknowledge excellence in diversity recruitment and support of a climate of diversity that recruits and retains racially/ethnically and gender diverse faculty.
Retain a diverse faculty
The most successful universities have both a strong commitment and action plans that support faculty diversity.17 An important and overlooked strategy to retain professors from underrepresented populations is to create a critical mass to prevent feelings of isolation and alienation that result in leaving.15
Action steps
Mentorship programs should be established that help guide diverse faculty through promotions and tenure tracks. These programs should be advertised on school of nursing websites and shared with potential candidates. Diverse faculty should also be mentored in their achievement of awards that recognize excellence in research and teaching. Finally, ongoing mentorship will be needed to develop the leadership potential of diverse faculty, with recognition given for such leadership.
Resources must be designated to support family policies as needed by candidates; these should be marketed through the search committee process and the website. Funds will be needed for startup packages that will support pilot work and presentations of scientific findings at national or international meetings. Support may be needed for the development of untenured new faculty hires as well. Finally, exit interviews should be considered for tenured and untenured diverse faculty at departure to explore reasons for leaving the university.
Using a blueprint to transform an institution to reflect a pluralistic society requires the collective evaluation of attitudes, the behaviors they generate, and the unconscious bias that shape faculty actions.18 Critical to this process is a vigilant and widespread diversity campaign that promotes individual ownership of the blueprint for change and is advocated and supported by both the faculty and school leadership.
A need exists for schools of nursing to showcase a vision and strategy for recruitment, retention, and promotion of a faculty that reflects the diversity of the United States and the world whose health they plan to promote. And as Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
References
Barbara Grutter v. Lee Bollinger, et al. 124 U.S. 35 (2003).
Association of American Universities (1997, April 24). “On the Importance of Diversity in University Admissions.” The New York Times, p. 27.
Sullivan, Louis W. (2004). Missing Persons: Minorities in the Health Professions, A Report of the Sullivan Commission on Diversity in the Health Care Workforce. Sullivan Commission, p. 66
Berlin, L., E., Stennett, J., and Bednash, G.D. (2004). 2003–2004 Salaries of Instructional and Administrative Nursing Faculty in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in Nursing. American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Rankin, S. & Reason, R. (2008). “Transformational Tapestry Model: A comprehensive approach to transforming campus climate,” Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 1:4, 262–274.
Turner, C., S.V. & Myers, S.L. (2000). Faculty of Color in Academe: Bittersweet Success.
Institute of Medicine (2010). The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.
Sullivan, C.W., & Bristow, L.R. (2007). “Summary Proceedings of the National Leadership Symposium on Increasing Diversity in the Health Professions.” Sullivan Alliance, 1–12.
Correll, S. J. & Benard, S. (2006). “Biased Estimators? Comparing Status and Statistical Theories of Gender Discrimination.” Social Psychology of the Workplace (Advances in Group Processes, Shane R. Thye and Edward J. Lawler eds.) Vol. 23, 89–116.
Baird, L. L. (2005) College Environments and Climates: Assessments and Their Theoretical Assumptions. In J.C. Smart (ed.), Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research, Vol. 20, 507–538.
Fiske, S. & Taylor, S.E. (1999). Social Cognition, 2nd edition.
Rynes, S. & Rosen, B. (1995). “A Field Survey of Factors Affecting Adopting and Perceived Success of Diversity Training.” Personnel Psychology, Vol. 48, 247–270.
Robinson, G., & Dechant, K. (2007). “Building a Business Case for Diversity.” Academy of ManagementPerspectives, 11:3, 21–31.
Siantz, de Leon, M.L (May – June 2008). “Leading Change in Diversity and Cultural Competence.” Journal of Professional Nursing, 24:3, 167–171.
Viernes Turner, C.S. (2002). Diversifying the Faculty: A Guidebook for Search Committees, Association of American Colleges and Universities.
Smith , D.G., Turner, C.S., Osei-Kofi, N., Richards, S. (2004). “Interrupting the Usual: Successful Strategies for Hiring Diverse Faculty.“ The Journal of Higher Education, 75:2, 133–160.
Piercy, F.; Giddings, V.; Allen, K.; Dixon, B.; Meszaros, P.; & Joest, K. (2005). “Improving Campus Climate to Support Faculty Diversity and Retention: A Pilot Program for New Faculty.” Innovative Higher Education, 30:1, 53–66.
Handelsman, et al. (2005). “More Women in Science.” Science, 309:5738, 1190–1191.
Rowena Elliott, Ph.D., R.N., C.N.N., B.C., C.N.E., is one of those people who make it all seem effortless. She balances teaching and mentoring with research projects and speaking engagements. She has a handful of degress and has held the title of “Director of Nursing” at least twice—it’s hard to keep track. She also has a collection of faculty, nurse, and student of the year awards from a number of organizations, and she was named a Gates Millennium Scholar in 2000. Add to that dozens of ancillary committees.
Yet, it’s her brand-new role as president of the American Nephrology Nurses Association that has people talking. In a time when there seem to be so few “firsts,” Elliott is the first African American to hold the position. And for anyone who believes educators are, or should be, community leaders, her life is a case study of both. “She has been so determined in her professional career and volunteer leadership roles, accomplishing so much,” says Loretta Jackson Brown, Ph.D.-C., R.N., C.N.N. Brown served on the ANNA Board of Directors with Elliott from 2008–2010, where they together made history as two minorities in leadership roles within the organization. Outside the ANNA, Brown is a clinician health communicator with McKing Consulting and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “She is dedicated to improving the statue of others, to including her nursing students, nephrology nurses, nurses in Mississippi, where she is an active member and leader for Mississippi Nurses Association, and many others.
“Often times people think that a leader of her rank perhaps is unapproachable and not in touch with the real members,” Brown says. “Dr. Elliott can often be found mingling with the members. She is inconspicuous and doesn’t draw attention to the fact that she is the most powerful person in the room.”
A girl from Chicago
Elliott speaks excitedly, quickly, about her life and years leading up to being elected president of the ANNA.
Born and raised in Chicago, Elliott is the second of 10 children, an even split of boys and girls. “I grew up in a household where we didn’t have a lot,” she says. “We were poor.” Elliott says she is fortunate that all of her siblings are still alive, as well as her mother, though her father passed away over a decade ago.
Elliott’s parents, who both left high school before their senior year, instilled in their children a reverence for education. They knew it would lead to a better life and exponentially more opportunities. Through education, they could achieve anything. Elliott took their advice to heart, and now holds three degrees and has been teaching since 1998. Married with two children and two grandchildren of her own, Elliott says, “I try to instill the same thing in them.”
Elliott graduated from nursing school in 1982. She wanted to become a CRNA immediately, but marriage and children postponed her plans. “Life happens,” she says. Fifteen years later, she went back to school for her master’s degree.
“I’ve done a little bit of everything,” Elliott says. As clinical nurses often do in small hospitals, “We did it all.” Juggling the responsibilities taught her to think on her feet, to move quickly, and to not be afraid.
Eventually, Elliott moved into long-term care, but she says it wasn’t her niche. She was looking for new job opportunities when she saw the hemodialysis unit in her hospital needed a director. Elliott applied, even though she couldn’t remember much about dialysis from nursing school. “I probably wouldn’t even recognize a dialysis machine!” she says with a burst of girlish laughter.
To her surprise, Elliott got the job and had a great teacher to guide her through. She says she learned how to prioritize and do things right the first time. “No shortcuts,” she says, suddenly serious. Now she shares the same advice, plus 30 years of lived experience, with her students.
For three or four years, Elliott ran the dialysis unit, and throughout that time, she heard her colleagues say she should become a nurse educator. “I never really thought about being a teacher,” Elliott says. “But I thought, ‘I have the gift to do this.'”
In 1998, she started teaching at Alcorn State University School of Nursing in Natchez, Mississippi. She moved on to her alma mater, the University of Mississippi, in 2001. The entrepreneurial bug bit her in 2005, and Elliott started her own legal nurse consultant business, but the novelty of the business side of nursing eventually wore off. “I started missing my calling,” she says. She belonged in a classroom. So she took a position at the University of Southern Mississippi in 2008, where she teaches today. Elliott is passionate about guiding and being a role model to others, particularly minority nurses and nephrology nurses. She says it plainly: “I love my students.”
The ANNA
As medical director, Elliott required her staff nurses to join the American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA), starting a relationship with the organization that has seen her rise through the ranks, from state to regional to national officer and now president.
Elliott, bottom left, and her family in Chicago, circa 1968
At one point, Elliott ran for ANNA national secretary, but lost. She says the election taught her a lot, and when she came back stronger and more prepared, she won the position. Six years later, she was elected president, and on March 29, 2011, she was officially sworn in. “My brother actually calls me Dr. Ro-bama,” she says, again laughing through her words.
“Rowena is very energetic, outgoing, and stylish,” says Sharon Longton, R.N., B.S.N., C.N.N., C.C.T.C., a data manager and transplant coordinator at Harper University Hospital in Detroit. The two met when Elliott joined the ANNA’s Board of Directors as National Secretary. “She works tirelessly to achieve her goals and the goals of the organization. Her personality and laughter draw others in and makes them feel like they belong,” Longton says. “She always recognizes others for what they do, no matter how small or big their contribution may be.
“I also admire Rowena’s style,” Longton says. “Ro loves shoes and Paris. It seems as though she has shoes in almost every color and style available. Her love is so significant that if you were to look closely on the cover of ANNA’s 2011 Fall Meeting program brochure, you will notice a pair of red high heels near the base of a street lamp. These were included in the picture as a subtle representation of something for Rowena. And what can I say about Paris other than it shows how classy and intelligent Rowena is.”
Being a “first”
“I get teary,” Elliott says, less than a month before the swearing-in ceremony. “When I think about it—” Her voice falters and she stops for a minute.
“I’ve come from a family where we had nothing to being the first African American president of this organization,” she continues.
“I do remember when I was a preteen that I had to sit in the ‘blacks only’ section of the local health clinic,” Elliott says. “To go from that to being the first African American to lead this organization is surreal but also warms my heart.”
Although Elliott celebrates her achievement, she does not dwell on it because it’s a part of a greater plan, she says. “I know God wants this position to be an opportunity to let other nurses and nursing students to know that no matter the obstacles and challenges that life brings, your dreams can definitely become realities.”
For Elliott, the role is more meaningful because she’s showing other minority nurses that they can do it too. “If you see something you want to change, you can change it,” she says.
Being the ANNA president was not a lifelong dream for Elliott, she says, but when she saw that Board of Directors, she felt that she just needed to be there. “[They] did not reflect the membership,” she says. Elliott remembers looking at the ANNA’s Board of Directors and asking the then president, “How do you get up there?”
For Elliott, it’s a simple matter of equal representation. “The amount of minorities does not reflect the population that we serve,” she says of the ANNA and her specialty. When you look at the patients nephrology nurses serve, they’re primarily African Americans who experience grossly disproportionate numbers of hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes, which lead to kidney problems and renal replacement. As ANNA president, Elliott wants to increase the number of all minority nephrology nurses, while boosting the number of nephrology nurses in general. “That’s been one of my goals,” she says, and she already has experience, having served on recruitment committees as a university faculty member.
Elliott, center, with two of her mentees at the Mississippi Nurses Association’s Nightingale Award ceremony
“If you want to make a change, don’t complain about it—take the steps,” Elliott says. “Make the change that you’re trying to see.”
Recruiting is about creating awareness and highlighting the benefits of this niche nursing specialty to make it an appealing path for future generations of nurses, Elliott says. Part of the effort is advocacy and speaking out. Let people know you’re there. Elliott presents at symposiums and writes about the subject at length, detailing solutions for recruitment. She recently spoke at a National Student Nurses Association event to discuss nephrology as a career path. “A lot of them didn’t even realize it was an option,” she says.
Elliott says she sees a lot of nursing students go into the ICU, women’s health, and emergency nursing—the well known specialties shown, and often idealized, on television and in movies. Nephrology needs to take a similar tact, Elliott says, but because getting it into the movies may be a challenge, it’s up to the nurses. “Our specialty is a great specialty. It’s very rewarding and exciting,” she says. “We need to make sure our name is out there.”
Elliott, or “Dr. E.” as she’s known at school, estimates two or three of her students go into nephrology nursing every year. The students tell her they chose the specialty because of the passion she expresses for it in her teaching.
“Her dynamic personality allows her to [be] interactive with individuals across all racial and ethnic groups,” Brown says. “She is infectious in her presentation and you truly are motivated to go out and accomplish more once you hear her speak…She truly epitomizes leadership excellence and encourages the hearts of others.”
Elliott hopes history will remember her for her leadership, not just as the first black ANNA president. “It’s truly an honor. I don’t have the words to express it,” she says. “But I’m ready for the work.”
Elliott credits her parents for always encouraging her to do better, to be better. “I know I’m making history,” she says. “I’m proud.”
“She is just what ANNA needs at this time,” says Donna Painter, M.S., R.N., C.N.N., the exiting ANNA President. “I know that ANNA will thrive.”
Always the teacher, Elliott hopes the next generation of nurses can learn from her nearly three decades in the profession. “Don’t settle,” she advises. “Don’t settle for anything in your personal life. Don’t settle for anything in your professional life.” If you dream about being a nurse educator, press forward until you become a nurse educator. “Stay focused on your goals and make the sacrifices,” she says. “Keep your eyes on the prize.”
I have served as a community health nurse for most of my 22 years of service as an RN. Currently, I coordinate the associate degree in nursing program for Monroe Community College (MCC) in Rochester, New York. I try to bring a holistic approach to the role, employing my health and wellness assessment skills in support of student success and overall program outcomes. As a black nurse, I pay special attention to the program’s ability to meet minority needs. Personal culture, lifestyle, disabilities, and socioeconomic levels have all been found to impact individual learning styles and student success.
In March 2009, MCC reentered what had become a contentious, politically charged, and controversial presidential search process. The MCC Diversity Council sought to engage the entire college community in a thoughtful series of panel discussions entitled “Combating Whispers and Suspicions, Valuing Diverse Hires: Why Diversity and Inclusion in Hiring are Important to MCC.” This voluntary group of faculty members deserves ample credit for their proactive corrective measure concerning hiring practices and for exposing this subject, bringing it to the forefront of public discourse. In April of that same year, New York Governor Paterson announced his creation of a statewide task force to improve diversity in the workforce.
Though I was unable to participate in the panel discussions, they inspired me to reflect on the importance of nursing program faculty diversity. I believe I bring a unique perspective as a community health nurse, as a black woman, as an idealist, and as an active civic participant. Had I been able to attend the series, I would have shared my personal perspective, professional interest, and passion associated with the outcomes of diverse hiring and retention in all public institutions, especially those in higher education.
The National League of Nursing (NLN) had already brought the subject to light, espousing workforce diversity, and the National Honor Society of Nursing drew attention to its importance in their Create the Future newsletter, saying “an increase of more than 20,000 minority nurses is needed to increase their proportion of the nursing workforce by just 1%.” They went on to say that the lack of ethnic, gender, and generational diversity is a concern not only for the profession, but also for patients: the nursing workforce should be at least as diverse as the population it serves. Not only is a lack of diversity in nursing linked to health disparities, but minority health care professionals are more likely than their majority peers to work in underserved communities, which in turn improves access among underrepresented groups. Additional studies have outlined how faculty diversity at all educational levels is linked to improved learning outcomes.
There is compelling governmental and constituent interest, locally and nationally, calling for institutions of higher education to advance the objectives of diverse faculty hires and retention for the benefit of all students, including underrepresented and under-performing minority students. There are secondary quality of life and economic residuals to be gained in their respective home communities, and that goes beyond health care. A recent issue of the higher education journal Diverse cites Winnefred Brown-Glaude’s research and newest book, Doing Diversity in Higher Education. A professor at Bowdoin College in Maine, she writes, “The debate over diversity is often hijacked by opponents who keep the focus on race, instead of broader definitions to include women, ethnicity, people with disabilities, and other kinds of differences. They tend to reduce conversations around diversity to quotas, which are then described as systems of racial preferences. These types of debates tend to lock us in to a back-and-forth tug of war, which really has not been productive.”
A National Urban League report entitled “The State of Black America” itemized the disturbing challenges and statistics seen in the black community with respect to poverty, health care, education, joblessness, and more. Higher education is in a unique position to take up this mantle, leading by example, to put an end to these disparities. According to the report, blacks are three times as likely to be in poverty, six times more often in prison, and disproportionately struck by joblessness in the current economic recession. (As of July 2010, over 15% of blacks are unemployed, compared to 9.5% of the total U.S. population and 8.6% of whites.) The NUL described these disparities as “America’s greatest wound.” Until black America participates and succeeds gainfully and equitably, all of America will continue to pay a steep price. Through reflective bureaucratic representation at administrative levels, community partnerships, and sacrificial investment, this wound can be effectively treated and the entire nation’s well-being advanced. If the plight of black America is permitted to fester, the growing needs for shelter, food, monetary assistance, social services, and costly emergency care (due to lacking preventative health care) will impede the growth of the entire country. Accessible, quality, effective education and workforce development, including strengthened student advisement and retention strategies, may be the most powerful deterrent and preventive measure in response to this nationwide epidemic.
I have experienced firsthand the impact of diversity and reflective representation as a means to affect educational and economic outcomes. Growing up in Spencerport, New York, an almost entirely white suburb in the 1960s and 1970s, I remained the only black female in my class of more than 400 students from the time I entered kindergarten in 1968 to my high school graduation in 1981. In high school, I heard a black woman had been hired to teach business courses. She was the first black educator within my scope of vision and my first professional role model, even though I never knew her personally. I could not help but admire her from afar, observing how she dressed, spoke, and carried herself. I stopped breathing when fellow students mentioned her. No one in my family had achieved a college degree at that point, and she unknowingly affirmed my beliefs, hopes, and determination. I thank God for her, recalling how my selfimage had often wavered. To this day, I wonder if she knew what she meant to me.
Though I had wonderful white teachers who encouraged and informed me, nothing replaced seeing my potential for success mirrored before me in that woman. In the coming years, I was fortunate to encounter more support. The Urban League of Rochester promoted its first group of Black Scholars in 1981, and the Rochester Institute of Technology sponsored an initiation to higher learning through their Minority Introduction to Engineering summer program. In these venues, educators mentored and exposed minority students to the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead.
Coordinating the MCC nursing program, I often find myself inspired by my students. (I wonder if my presence had a similar effect on my faraway mentor in Spencerport.) Students of color at MCC frequently question me about my accomplishments, as they inspect my degrees and ask about my experiences as a student nurse, a registered nurse, and a single mom. They confide in me, vent to me, and cry with me. I have gratefully provided this empathy, emphasizing their ability to succeed though perseverance. I have no doubt that LGBT, Latino, disabled faculty, and others provide similar support and insights to students.
Indeed, faculty members of all ethnicities and backgrounds serve as exceptional educators and role models every day— yet, each faculty member cannot be everything to each student, and the importance of faculty diversity should not be denied. I cannot help but think of our nation’s pluralistic foundations; a pluralistic society is one in which members of diverse ethnic, racial, religious, and social groups maintain participation in and development of their traditions and special interests while cooperatively working toward the interdependence needed for a nation’s unity. It fosters an inclusive, critical, and constructive discourse where different—even opposing—perspectives are valued. This is the nature of democracy. Pluralism is a noble goal, one that we must continue to strive toward, for we have not achieved it yet.
In a recent volume of the NEA Higher Education Advocate, data from the 2009 Higher Education Almanac illustrates how minority faculty remain significantly underrepresented, having slipped further over the last year and well below parity for the larger population. There is a clear need for serious efforts to encourage scholars from minority backgrounds to work in U.S. colleges and universities. These efforts should include strategies for increasing minority nursing faculty in consideration of the compelling governmental interest in responding to minority health needs.
Consider this gem in women’s history: Esther Petersen, an American Federation of Teachers (AFT) grassroots organizer, was instrumental in promoting integrated access to the YWCA. In 1961, John F. Kennedy appointed her to lead the Women’s Bureau in the Department of Labor. She went on to create the President’s Commission on the Status of Women and National Women’s Organization. Peterson invigorated the feminist movement and facilitated the inclusion of African American women in the language of the 1964 Civil Rights legislation. She brought her perspective as a woman to the table, and she personified the importance of bureaucratic representation and voice. I am not at all surprised to see an educator acting as a pioneer. Higher education must model this.
Hopefully, at MCC and all colleges and universities, faculty diversity will become more fully appreciated as one means to close the gaps in minority participation and success. Again, the MCC Diversity Council should be commended for its response to this urgent and compelling call to action, for advancing MCC’s priorities, and for supporting those in the surrounding community. Public institutions, including community colleges, are empowered by legislators to represent and influence the community; in turn, they should also be held to account by the community within and without.
At the end of their presidential search, Monroe Community College chose a woman to lead. Well done.
