Running head: THE NEED FOR DIVERSE COLLEGE EMPLOYEES

The Need for Diverse College Employees to Serve Diverse College Students

Fatima Soto

Northern Illinois University

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Abstract

This paper is about the current hiring trends of college employees, the importance and benefits of

hiring diverse individuals, and how to improve the recruitment and retention of diverse college

employees. For the purpose of this paper the term college employees refers to faculty and

support-staff only. A diverse individual is considered a person who pertains to at least one non-

dominant group.
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The Need for Diverse College Employees to Serve Diverse College Students

The United States is a nation composed of people from different ethnic, political,

economic and socio-economic backgrounds. These same individuals are crossing into different

groups besides their own and as a result this country is becoming more diverse at a much faster

pace than previous years. This is evident when filling out any document that requires certain

background information. Long gone are the days of three race categories and two gender

categories. Our homes, place of employment, and schools are clear examples of the diversity

which exists today. Higher education is seeing an increase in female students, students of color

and first generation students. Our colleges and universities should be able to serve these students

and encourage them to reach their highest potential. With our student body becoming rapidly

diverse it is necessary to examine the benefit of hiring culturally diverse people, verify if true

diversity exists, or does not exist within the hiring process in higher education, and the

improvements that can be made to achieve a diverse academic setting.

Literature Review

The Higher the Whiter

Kayes (2006) states that 80%-90% of college faculty and staff identify as white, but this

is not true for the student population, which means that colleges are not mirroring the people

they serve. The geographical location of a higher education institution will certainly impact the

composition of its employees, however, regardless of location the higher the position within the

college the less diversity is present. Higher administration positions tend to be held by white

males, although female students make up more than half of todays college population. Barrow

& Germann (2006) describe the credentials that are usually sought out when selecting a new

faculty member. Institutions based their decisions on the degree that had been earned by the
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applicant, teaching experience and if he/she would be a fit to their institution. Not once was

diversity mentioned in the hiring process. The candidate needs to fit in with the rest of the

employees. If the current faculty is mainly composed of white individuals, we can assume that

what fits best is another white person.

Diversity is a Necessity

Collins & Kritsonis (2006) talk about the importance of having faculty and staff that

resemble the student body. They claim that students will become productive citizens since they

will be encouraged by a diverse atmosphere. Students will be able to relate to their professors,

administrators and others because they will look and sound like one another. This article states

that it is the colleges responsibility to make students productive citizens. By having diversity

present on campus students are learning how to communicate with others from different

backgrounds and becoming more accepting of peoples differences (Collins & Kritsoni, p.2).

The Aspen Institute established that the student population, specifically in community colleges,

is changing its demographics. Community College educate 7 million degree-seeking students,

which consist of a large number of students of color and first-generation students (The Aspen

Institute, p.2). Historically these students have struggled with being successful in a post-

secondary setting. Students of color might feel discouraged when they are not given the proper

resources. A hostile environment will make it less welcoming and may lead to students

withdrawing from the college. First-generation students might encounter similar situations.

These students, especially, need extra guidance from college employees because they do not

receive it at home. It is easy for them to become discouraged when they have missed application

deadlines, are limited with course offerings and are unaware of payment options. The Aspen

Institute (2013) insists that a successful community college will have a president that will be
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aware of the colleges demographics and have a deep commitment to student access. A

president, just like a professor and front-line staff member, must share these qualities in order to

promote the diversity values that a college should have.

Enforcing Diversity Policies

A higher education institution should not only have a diversity policy but it should also

be enforced. Every employee from the president to the Admissions receptionist should believe

in the schools mission for diversity. Kayes (2006) discusses the need for search committees to

be trained before they interview applicants. Committee participants should be in agreement to

what it is that they are looking for in a potential hire. Each committee participant can hold a

different bias which can result in an unsuccessful search. Collins & Kritsonis (2006) go into

detail about the legal reasons why colleges and universities should diversify their faculty. They

state that by doing so, institutions are less likely to be involved in a lawsuit. Oesterreich &

Knight argue that educators should engage in professional practices that will confront the

discrimination and bias that many minority college students face (as cited in Adams et al., 2013,

p.522). In Kayes (2006) article, she goes into detail about the workshop that was created in

order to establish better prepared search committees. The workshop consisted of five objectives:

describing the benefits of a diverse faculty and staff for the students, how the culture of the

college can seem unwelcoming to culturally diverse faculty and staff, identifying cultural biases

in the hiring process, examining institutional, departmental and individual obstacles to hiring and

retaining employees, and finally to create new strategies to actually retain diverse faculty and

staff. Establishing workshops such as this one could produce search committees that are more

productive in finding the appropriate candidate which will truly follow the mission of the

institution and its diversity policy regardless of the position they hold.
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Discussion

Although the United States is a diverse country, our academic establishments are failing

to reflect the same diversity amongst its employees. We must identify why it is important to

have diversity on a college campus, why it is not happening, and how we can make it happen.

Students who build relationships with their instructors tend to be more successful in class. The

relationship gives the student the comfort to discuss their troubles with their professors and

professors are able to address those obstacles. Starting a relationship with a stranger can be

easier when the two individuals share similar characteristics. A Latina student might feel more

comfortable approaching her professor who is also Latina because her professor is a reflection of

her. A student might see motivation and encouragement when they see a college administrator,

professor and staff member who will be able to relate to them. As stated previously, The Aspen

Institution (2013) reports about 7 million community college students in the United States. If

those 7 million students could form a positive relationship with a college representative, we

could see a dramatic change in our retention and graduation rates. Not only can a student be

successful by building a relationship with a college employee, but also by simply being exposed

to different cultures on campus. Students will learn how to collaborate with others regardless of

backgrounds (Collins & Kritsonis, 2006). Whether a student is interacting with people from

their same background or with others who are the complete opposite, they will gain personal and

professional growth.

Kayes (2006) identifies a myth which exists in the hiring process in higher education. It

is assumed that because the individual in a higher position advocates for diversity, everyone else

does too. Unfortunately, this is not the truth. College and universities are failing to hire diverse

employees because the hiring process does not identify what characteristics an ideal applicant
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must possess. Also, cultural biases are not being address. Participants in search committees

might not realize they have such biases. Not every participant is culturally sensitive. As Kayes

(2006) explains, there are different stages to intercultural sensitivity. When the search

committee is not on the same page, it will not follow adequate hiring practices. Another reason

why diverse individuals are not being hired is simply because they are not being recruited. If job

openings are only being advertised to certain audiences then there is little possibility to obtain a

diverse group of applicants.

The solution to every problem begins with awareness and acknowledgement. Institutions

must accept that current trends in hiring are not the most efficient in obtaining diverse

employees. Several steps can be taken in order to achieve a more diverse college employee

community. Colleges can begin by targeting organizations, websites and events that are meant

for candidates of color, women, LGBTQ and other non-dominant groups. When it comes to

forming search committees, colleges must be certain of the potential cultural biases individuals

hold. The committee must agree on the characteristics they are looking for when conducting

interviews. Some people will be more culturally sensitive than others; therefore participants

should be comfortable speaking up about potential discriminatory thoughts from others (Kayes,

2006). Kayes (2006) also explains that recruiting is not retaining. This means that colleges

should also make an effort to retain their diverse faculty and staff in order to decrease turnover.

Campuses should be welcoming to both the employees and students. Employees should feel

welcomed and have resources available to them in order for them to be successful in their

positions.
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Praxis

Along with the suggestions in the previous articles, other techniques can also be utilized

to implement adequate hiring practices. Colleges should consider designating a person or

department to verify that those who interview candidates have appropriate training. Similar to

Kayes workshop, participants should be made aware of their cultural insensitivity. Search

committees should be composed of individuals who accept and advocate for diversity.

Participants should also discuss the important qualities they are looking for in a candidate. Some

might be looking for length of work experience while others prefer academic experience.

Retaining employees is also essential. Faculty and staff should have the opportunity to

express any concerns they might have or make suggestions. This will allow the institution to

develop. Promoting different cultural events on campus can create a welcoming environment for

all. Employees will notice that their place of employment appreciates diversity.

Conclusion

Diversity is consistently used as a marketing tool. Most people view it as a valuable

asset. However, not many establishments are providing true diversity, nor enforcing their

diversity policies and practices. Instead they ignore the obvious. Diversity is valuable and

necessary. It benefits college students as well as the institution. The messages that are being fed

to us on a daily basis create the stereotypes we subconsciously believe to be true. Significant

strides must be made to create these diverse environments we advertise.

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References

Adams, M., Blumenfeld, W.J., Castaeda, C. (Rosie), Hackman, H.W., Peters, M.L., &

Ziga, X. (2013). Reading for diversity and social justice. New York & London:

Routledge.

Barrow, L.H., & Germann, P.J. (2006). A study of science education positions, search process,

and hiring practices. Educational Research Quarterly, 29.3, 52-61.

Collins, C.J., & Kritsonis, W.A. (2006). National viewpoint: The importance of hiring a diverse

faculty. National Journal for Publishing and Mentoring Doctoral Student Research, 3(1),

1-7.

Karanxha, Z., Agosto, V., & Bellara, A.P. (2014). The hidden curriculum: Candidate diversity in

educational leaderships preparation. Journal of Research on Leadership Education, 9(1),

34-58.

Kayes, P.E. (2006). New paradigms for diversifying faculty and staff in higher education:

Uncovering cultural biases in the search and hiring process. Multicultural Education,

14(2), 65-69.

The Aspen Institute. (2013). Aligning the community college presidency with student success.

http://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/crisis-opportunity-aligning-community-

college-presidency-student-success