Closing the equity gap: grow your own faculty development program

The equity gap relating to minority student success and talent management in higher
education is a persistent problem. This is a topic of significant concern at most institutions of
higher education and has the potential to have greater impact at community colleges where
underrepresented populations are typically larger. A substantial amount of research has
examined faculty development and minority recruitment; however, no one has developed a
comprehensive solution for improving faculty diversity. While faculty diversity is a topic that is
often discussed, the solutions tend to be unattainable in that we must completely change our
talent management processes to yield different results. Leaders must invest and commit to
improving the development and resources provided for recruitment and retention of diverse
faculty. Sinclair Community College has identified six key competencies required for its faculty
including scholarship and professional growth, teaching and learning facilitation, student
development, assessment, curriculum design, and workplace and community service.
Improving the understanding and application of these competencies for African American
faculty will improve African American student retention by creating more opportunities for
them to feel a sense of belonging and closing the equity gap for the institution in terms of hiring
African American faculty and African American student success.