Chapman Faculty Perceptions of Hiring Practices to Increase Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Historically, universities have been institutions primarily consisting of White males. While there have been significant improvements in racially and ethnically diversifying undergraduate student populations, faculty demographics have been slower to change. Researchers pose several explanations for this occurrence, including low numbers of qualified Ph.D. candidates from racially and ethnically underrepresented backgrounds as well as feelings of isolation that racial and ethnic minority faculty often face due to lack of available mentorship. This low representation of racially and ethnically underrepresented minorities is concerning as extensive research suggests that diversity among faculty appointments enhances the overall quality of a university, and, specifically, has a strong, positive impact on undergraduate education. In recognition of numerous benefits of a racially and ethnically diverse faculty body, this study draws particularly from research which suggests the hiring process is a viable mechanism through which to address the lack of racial and ethnic diversity. Taking into consideration various resource guides that esteemed other universities have created detailing suggested best hiring practices, we created a survey that includes a variety of hiring strategies and invited Chapman faculty and/or individuals who served on search committees at Chapman University to complete it. Participants were given short, open-ended questions in addition to statements which they were asked to rate. The survey encompassed several aspects of the hiring process including preparing the search, writing the job description, recruiting candidates, interviewing, evaluating candidates, as well as retention and inclusion strategies. The results of this study lend themselves to offering empirically based recommendations that can be utilized and potentially implemented at Chapman University to increase the likelihood of racially and ethnically diversifying faculty demographics