The history of Black people across the globe is marred by structural racism created by colonialism. Structural racism is deeply embedded in the American culture and academia is not excluded from this phenomenon. The research demonstrates that the problem of racism is not only prevalent in four-year academic institutions but also exists in two-year…

Many institutions within higher education are committed to hiring a diverse and representative body of faculty and staff, yet few institutions have realized this commitment. Instead, administrative staff demographics have not significantly changed over recent decades. To examine the intersection of institutional commitments and outcomes, this…

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the principle of fairness as equity, defined by Adams, is applied during the selection of school principals. Our focus was on a secondary education directorate drawing data in two ways. Firstly, a questionnaire was given to candidates who participated in the selection process, in order to…

In response to the need for greater racial and ethnic diversity, the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) at Indiana University Indianapolis introduced a mandatory equity and inclusion-centered training program for faculty search committees in August 2023. This training addresses key challenges in achieving faculty diversity, including biases, narrow…

Background/Context: Although academic departments have more tools to advance faculty diversity than ever before, many still downplay their own responsibility throughout the hiring process. This results in a cycle of apathy that activates once searches are already under way, and structural change is out of reach. Yet few studies empirically outline…

This qualitative study investigated ethnic/racial diversity in the community college faculty search process. The researcher interviewed 12 participants--administrators and faculty members at three community colleges in a large district in the southwestern United States--who served on faculty search committees from 2006-2009. Analysis of the…

The time between a president's resignation and the next president's assumption of office--often a 12-to-18 month period--can be crucial for an institution. Between the winding down of an existing presidency and the successful launch of the next, there are all too many opportunities for lost momentum, frayed relationships, key departures, and…

The selection of a president is a governing board's most important responsibility, and the search process is the board's best opportunity to help guide its institution into a successful new era. This guide outlines the leadership roles during a search (those of the board, the board chair, the search committee, and others), briefs board…

Formerly, search consultants were used in higher education at only a small number of institutions--and even there, only when recruiting presidents. But over the years, the industry has grown to the point that many large and small firms now compete for higher education searches, including ones for administrators and even some for endowed faculty,…

This issue brief presents a meaningful strategy for how charter school boards can hire top-notch, well-suited leaders for their schools. Written by Mollie Mitchell, founder and president of The K12 Search Group, this brief is a how-to guide for managing the process of bringing on a new charter school leader. As Ms. Mitchell notes, the only thing…

Oral interviews in focus groups and written surveys were conducted with 877 men and women, including administrators, faculty members, postdoctoral associates, and graduate students, during one-day site visits to chemistry and chemical engineering departments at 28 Ph.D.-granting institutions. This report is a preliminary review of the perceptions…

Trustees and presidents are in the midst of hiring the next generation of leaders for the nation's community colleges. Major leadership development initiatives are under way to address a projected shortage at the highest levels of college leadership--the result of impending presidential and senior executive officer retirements. In 2006, the…

As open-door institutions, community colleges provide access to students from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. Yet while enrollment of students of color in community colleges continues to increase, representation by faculty of color has not. This qualitative study investigated community college faculty search committee…

Numerous institutions are moving toward the chief diversity officer model of leading and managing diversity in higher education. These officers carry formal administrative titles and ranks that range from vice president for institutional diversity to associate vice chancellor for diversity and climate and dean of diversity and academic engagement.…

This study examines prior research conducted on the acceptability of online degrees in hiring situations. In a national survey, a questionnaire was developed for assessing the importance of objections to accepting job candidates with online degrees and sent to university search committee chairs in institutions advertising open faculty positions…