Employment and Hiring Patterns for Faculty of Color.

This research brief examines employment and hiring among full-time minority college faculty over the 10-year period (1981-1991) using data from the biannual faculty surveys of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It compares the number of new full-time faculty hires to the actual employment gains in tenure-track and non-tenure track positions. Finally it discusses some major factors in recruiting and retaining minority faculty and suggests ways to increase the number and retention of minority faculty. Highlights include the following: (1) between 1981 and 1991 the number of full-time minority faculty grew from approximately 43,000 to 64,000, a 49 percent increase compared to the overall increase of 11 percent; (2) minority representation among all full-time faculty grew from 9 percent to just over 12 percent with growth in Asian American faculty accounting for more than half this increase; (3) Asian American faculty now outnumber African-American faculty; (4) the increase in the number of male faculty of color far out-paced the increases for women faculty of color; and (5) a lack of supportive academic environment was found to be an important factor in not retaining faculty of color. The brief also describes 10 key resources and publications for minority faculty. (Contains a 13-item bibliography.) (JB)