Faculty Diversity in Higher Education

Diversity is an essential factor in society in aspects that touch on the economic, political as well as social contexts in contemporary times. Humanity has brought different attributes in life such as race, ethnic relations, and backgrounds, religions, gender, geographical location and regions as well as ideologies and philosophies on issues in life. As some believe that there is unity in diversity and, therefore, the concept of diversity needs to be embraced by people and organizations to help them realize the advantages that diversity brings at a personal level as well as organizational level. Higher education plays an essential role in the society that results in the training of different people in different skills and information in their field of interest resulting incompetent workforce and human capital that plays and contributes to the development of the society positively in the various areas that touch on the economic, social as well as political factors. However, this paper discusses different variables affecting faculty diversity in higher education by presenting the background of diversity, application of Milem, Chang & Antonio (2005) framework and finalizes by analysis, implicational and recommendations.

Context

Universities have different faculties that offer different programs to both undergraduate and postgraduate students in different institutions in the world. The element and concept of diversity in contemporary times have contributed to trend and embraced in different fields in the world that more often has resulted in positive outcomes and brand if inclusivity and appreciation of the different humanity attributes (Whittaker & Montgomery, 2014). Historically, many societies have been dominated by patriarchal systems and models in the society where the male gender dominated most of the aspects of society that touch on social, economic as well as political actors, and higher education is not exempted including the different faculties in higher education. The status quo as noted in many patriarchal societies in the world prompted changes and uprisings through affirmative action and civil societies that tried to bring changes and incorporate the minority groups and the female gender in many aspects that goes on in the society as they equally constitute an important fraction and part of the society. Faculty diversity in higher education is not exempted from such changes and reforms that often are instituted by the civil and human rights groups. The same idea of change has also been embraced by international institutions such as the United Nations among others. They have required members countries to implement and embrace diversity of gender and ethnic backgrounds in different factors that they do. The philosophy has equally guided the principles and inclusion of the united nation in its workforce that comes from all parts of the world. Business world equally has accepted the concept of diversity where they recruit and higher people not only depending on their qualifications but also their ethnic backgrounds to create a picture and image that can result into a positive public relations and inclusivity. The subject, thus, has also attracted interest from scholars and researchers that try to find out and elaborate more on the positives and advantages that diversity brings in the society (Cuyjet, Howard-Hamilton & Cooper, 2012). In an organization, people from different backgrounds create a positive image and brand that increases the business potential to realize its business goals and objectives with ease particularly in the contemporary times that the concept of globalization has led to increased competition because of the liberated markets. 

Universities administration and leadership have also embraced the idea and philosophy of diversity in its programs and management that include faculty concerns. They have developed policies and guidelines that require different faculties of the university to embrace and incorporate the philosophy and concept of diversity (Stewart & Valian, 2018). It includes the staffing aspects of the faculties in the teaching and non-teaching staff, student’s admission and enrolments, gender aspects as well as the inclusion of the people with disability and minority groups among other aspects and elements that happen in the faculty as well as the university as a whole. Universities has also developed its administration and faculties where some have been empowered to run their independent programs but guided by the main administration and Senate of the university. Therefore, different faculties have launched their independent marketing strategies to reach potential students and other stakeholders such as professors and staff to work in the faculties and different departments in the faculties and university as a whole (Stout, Archie, Cross & Carman, 2018). In the marketing approaches and decision they reach in the faculties, they have to embrace the concept of diversity that would create positive image and brand about the faculty where it can incorporate is diversity related to gender and different ethnic background such as race and ethnicity in their marketing strategies to attract students and other concerned stakeholders and give them confidence and believe about the university and faculty inclusivity of different backgrounds and humanity aspects (Moody, 2013). The concept of diversity in faculties in the higher education, hence, taken different approaches in the administration and management of the different diversity aspects in higher education that include diversity in staffing to create and meet the institutions policies and management requirements as indicated in the university policies as well as affirmative action and requirements in the society as passed by legislators to address the subject of diversity as a whole in the society. The diversity concept in faculties in higher education has also touched on student’s admission and enrollment. The faculties encourage students to apply from different backgrounds including those from low-income backgrounds where the faculties have come up with programs that support such students such as faculty and university scholarship and also linking them to other different potential scholarship in the society. The ultimate goals are to create a positive image of inclusivity from the different parts of the society in the faculty. 

Affirmative action that enhances diversity has not only encourage recruitment and staffing of workers from the different gender, but also the aspects of persons with disability have to include as part of the staff of the faculty as a requirement that would show inclusivity and diversity aspects in the university and faculty at large (Abdul-Raheem, 2016). Faculties have been impacted by the concept of diversity different that has also touched on the methodology and instructional methods used by the faculties. Many faculties and universities as a whole have embraced the use of different teaching methods and approaches such as part time and full time learning methods to enhance the flexibility and comfort of students that are committed in other aspects but prefer or would like to enhance their educational profiles and opportunities. The teaching methodologies such as through lectures, discussion boards, assignments and use of visual aids is also encouraged by the faculty management to enhance inclusivity in approaches and methods of learning to cater for the diverse students capabilities and potentials of learning as well as increase their potential to understand the concepts and ideologies in different courses presented by the faculty institution and schools (Thompson, 2018). On the same note, some faculties have also embraced dual or multi-language approaches and methods that they can use to enhance the faculty and universities goals at large by attracting students and staff from different backgrounds and culture that include different languages and enhance their teaching and learning as programs that interest the students can be taught in different languages in the faculties.  

Other approaches embraced by the higher education that touches on diversity in the faculties have also empowered different departments, institutions, and schools in the faculties in higher education to brand differently as part of its approach and methods to deliver the different programs in the faculty and university. It is, hence, possible to find different departments, schools and institutions within the same faculty and university branded differently. For example, the environment department and schools might embrace the use of green color in most of its facilities, colleges, and institutions. The branding of different colleges, schools, and institutions in the faculty differently has also contributed to easy differentiation of the diverse departments and schools that have also contributed positively to ease of management and enhanced professionalism in the schools and colleges in the faculty (Whittaker & Montgomery, 2014). Faculty diversity in higher education, hence, continues to be an important aspect in the higher education process that resonates well with the job market as well as society demands and expectations.

Theory, Model or Framework

Milem, Chang and Antonio (2005) structure of Expanded Campus Climate Framework is used in the analysis of different faculty diversity in higher education to elaborate and enhance the various concepts and application. It guides the faculty’s decision relating to diversity in the short and long-term periods through the policies and action that faculties in the university often makes as noted in the present trends across many universities in the world. The expanded framework by Milem et al. (2005) is preferred and selected because it provides more options that different contents that touch on the faculty diversity can be analyzed. And, therefore, enhance deeper understanding and ideas or variables that directly and indirectly play and contributed to the application of different diversity concepts in faculties. Such as noted in the description above that touches the staffing aspects of the faculties, the student's admission factors, the methodologies and teaching approaches used genders aspects and also the disabled groups among many other concerns that show diversity elements in the faculties and universities at large. The variables that make up the Milem, Chang, and Antonio (2005) framework notes the historical dimension, Compositional dimension, the organizational/structural dimension, Behavioral dimension, and Psychological dimension. The different aspects presented in the structure makes it easy to apply the different approaches that faculties have used in its application of the diverse elements as described above. They include its staffing approaches, students admission approaches, the methodology and programs used to teach the students, the different programs that include part and full-time that faculties have for their stakeholders. Also, the different language used to enhance communication and realization of the faculty goals in the various schools and colleges that make up a faculty as well as marketing approaches of the faculties to its potential stakeholders. It includes students and other partners that might consist of business partners such as suppliers of different materials used in the university that makes and enhances the provision of the faculty’s goals as set in the faculty vision and mission. The different applicable dimensions show more similarities in and correlation concerning concepts such as that of behavioral dimensions and psychological dimension that related and influence the others directly. The model, thus, can enhance and allow comparison and analysis of the different variables the faculty applies in its diversity program. And, therefore, rank and categorize them according to the most influential or least effective regarding approaches that can also help in the provision of recommendations and opinions that the faculties can use to enhance its diversity programs.

Besides, the aspects that it can use to realize the desired results from the diversity programs effectively and efficiently. Each element applied in the faculty that touches on the diversity approaches used also can be analyzed from different dimensions as noted in the Milem, Chang, and Antonio (2005) framework. Hence, the approaches can result in better understanding of varying diversity concepts from different perceptions as noted in the dimension. Such moves and act would results in more revelations and knowledge of the subject as well as help possible in establishing objective recommendations that would impact on the different stakeholders positively. It is due to the in-depth analysis of the various concepts in the study of the faculty backgrounds and applications of diversity concerns and approaches used as well as the factors that determine the criteria and methods used in the faculties. 

Analysis, Implication, and Recommendations

Analysis

Milem, Chang, and Antonio (2005) dimension can be applied broadly in the different approaches and methods used by the faculties in the implementation of the different programs that it has. It includes the inclusion of different methodologies of the teaching of programs offered, admission diversity of students that include different backgrounds and factors such as gender and ethnicity among others. The marketing approaches that faculty’s use that incorporates and includes different people from different ethnic background and genders, for instance, displays the psychological dimensions, organization dimensions as well as compositional dimension. The psychological dimension is presented whereby people that read or are reached by the different marketing approaches used by the university would be influenced psychologically and also establishes a real brand about the faculty and universities. It is because of the image and brand that would create about inclusivity and diversity in its programs that would enhance the chance of the faculties and the universities at large capturing the attention of such students and, hence, help them in making the decisions to join the faculties or because of the psychological dimension that such approach carets (Ginsberg & Wlodkowski, 2009 ). There is high chance that when such potential students or stakeholders see people with same backgrounds such as race in the marketing adverts of the universities, there is a high possibility that they would be interested and show concern. The organization dimension is also displayed for such faculty acts in its marketing strategies. It sends and shows the way the institution is organized concerning diversity. Finally, the marketing approach that displays different ethnic and racial backgrounds for instance also show the compositional dimension as indicated in the Milem, Chang, and Antonio (2005) framework that attract people of diversity and captures their interests in the institution. The faculty acts of branding different schools and colleges in the faculty using different colors and other designs also shows the dimension of organization and composition. It sends the messages that the faculty is composed of different colleges and schools as well as campus among others as well as shows how the faculty is organized and runs its programs that touch on diversity. The use of different languages and methodologies by the university and its faculty to enhance its programs show the dimension of behavior, compositional and organizational. The behavior elements are displayed where the languages used would show how potential students and the teaching fraternity, as well as other stakeholders, behave and act in different settings and approaches that touch on diversity factors in the faculty. It also would help in projecting the likely behavior among students and professors in the universities because of some language control many aspects of life and culture that can also project and predict behavior. It also shows the composition of the language used and the organizations structure that shows the different methodologies used in teaching and enhancing programs offered by faculties. The recruitment of staff and other workers from different backgrounds and genders show the dimension of composition, historical as well as organization dimension. It shows and notes how the staffing is composed and also relates to the historical approaches and acts that the society has passed through to initiate such changes of the status quo through affirmative action’s and civil society movements that have struggled historically to initiate such changes in the society. The political class also has played an essential role by the creation of rules and laws that enhance diversity and inclusivity of people from different backgrounds in the society that include the faculties and universities. The organization aspects as stated in Milem, Chang, and Antonio (2005) framework also is indicated from the act of inclusivity of different genders and ethnicity in staffing and recruitment enlistment that presents the picture of how the institution is organized. The different enlistment of students from different backgrounds such as different ethnic background and genders in the different programs offered at the faculty shows and displays the dimension of composition and behavioral dimension. It allows people to notes how the different approaches the institution used to attract different students from a different background as well as help in the projection of possible behaviors among students because students behave differently in different or mixed gender and groups as opposed to when there is only one gender in their environment. The use of Milem, Chang, and Antonio (2005) framework, thus, is essential as it allows in-depth analysis of different factors that show diversity and factors that contribute to the decisions that institutions and faculties take to help address the concerns that they have objectively and help it realize its vision and desires in the 

Implication

The implication that faculties use different diversity approaches and alternatives in their programs means that enough resources have to be channeled to programs that enhance diversity so that they institution realize its benefits and other advantages that result from inclusivity in the faculties. It also would imply that training of the benefits that inclusivity has to the faculty key stakeholders that include students, teaching and non-teaching staff, boards among others would be helpful to the faculties in the short and long-term approaches that it uses in the projects and programs that enhance diversity in higher education (Stout et al., 2018). Universities and faculties produce graduates that actively play a role in the job market and the shaping of societies goals and visions in the economic, social as well as political aspects. The inclusions of the different approaches and strategies in the faculties that enhance diversity would provide them with enough information and examples that they can replicate outside when they are done with the studies. Universities constitute an essential part of the society and, thus, it would imply that such changes that enhance diversity and inclusion in the programs and process offered by the faculties and universities would be replicated in the society to improve changes realized through the affirmative action’s and civil rights movements.

Recommendations 

Faculties should continue to support the diversity and inclusivity programs in the different programs that they have to help them realize their desires and goals with ease.

Enough resources that include finance should be allocated to help faculties implement the different programs they have that enhance diversity.

All stakeholders should be trained on the benefits that accrue from diversity in faculties to help them understand and support the actions and decision taken by the administration of the faculties. 

In conclusion, faculty diversity in higher education has brought essential aspects that need to be supported by all concerned stakeholders. Different approaches have to be used and embraced that would result in faster and effective results that target the diversity goals and vision set by the faculties and the universities as a whole. Research and studies on the impact and the best approaches that the faculties can use to implement the diversity programs should be encouraged. 

References

Abdul-Raheem, J. (2016). Faculty Diversity and Tenure in Higher Education. Journal of Cultural Diversity , 23(2), 53–56. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=115922527&site=ehost-live

Cuyjet, M.J., Howard-Hamilton,M.F. & Cooper, D.L. (2012). Multiculturalism on Campus: Theory, Models, and Practices for Understanding Diversity and Creating Inclusion . Stylus Publishing, LLC. 

Ginsberg, M. B., & Wlodkowski, R. J. (2009). Diversity and motivation: Culturally responsive teaching in college . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Milem, J.F., Chang, M.J., & Antonio, A.L. (2005). Making diversity work on campus: A research-based Perspective. Washington, DC: American Association of Colleges and Universities. 

Moody, J. (2013). Faculty Diversity: Removing the Barriers . Routledge.

Stewart, A.J. & Valian, V. (2018). An Inclusive Academy: Achieving Diversity and Excellence . MIT Press

Stout, R., Archie, C., Cross, D., & Carman, C. A. (2018). The relationship between faculty diversity and graduation rates in higher education. Intercultural Education , 29(3), 399–417. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2018.1437997

Thompson, S. (2018). Campus diversity triumphs: Valleys of hope . Bingley, UK: Emerald Publishing Linited

Whittaker, J., & Montgomery, B. (2014). Cultivating Institutional Transformation and Sustainable STEM Diversity in Higher Education through Integrative Faculty Development. Innovative Higher Education , 39(4), 263–275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-013-9277-9