The University Record, January 7, 1997
Minority figures climb to 15.4 percent of instructional faculty
By Bernie DeGroat
News and Information Services
People of color now comprise 15.4 percent of total instructional faculty on the Ann Arbor campus, according to 1996-97 figures released today.
This compares with 15.1 percent in 1995, 14 percent in 1994, 13.9 percent in 1993, 12.8 percent in 1992 and 12.3 percent in 1991.
Over the past five years, the number of minority faculty has grown 31.3 percent compared with a 5.1 percent rise in total faculty during that time.
Since introducing the Michigan Mandate in 1987 to link “academic excellence and social diversity,” the U-M has increased the number of tenured and tenure-track faculty of color from 237 (8.8 percent of tenured and tenure-track faculty) to 397 (14.8 percent)—a 67.5 percent increase.
“For each of the past six years the University has achieved modest incremental increases in total number of faculty of color through recruitment and retention efforts campuswide and at the school, college and departmental level,” says interim President Homer A. Neal. “However, there is still much to be done, particularly in terms of hiring and retaining faculty of color to tenure and tenure-track positions.
“While we have been successful in attracting a number of top scholars to campus, we’re continuing to work to increase the number of minorities in the academic pipeline, from elementary school through graduate school. We also need to address campus climate and retention issues and I’m glad that the Council on a Multicultural University is doing that.”
Of the current 3,921 faculty at the U-M, 320 are Asian (8.2 percent), 180 are Black (4.6 percent), 95 are Hispanic (2.4 percent) and nine are Native American (0.2 percent).
Three categories make up the instructional faculty at the University: tenured and tenure-track appointments, lecturers and supplemental staff (visiting professors and those with adjunct or clinical appointments).
Of the total faculty of color, 397 hold tenured or tenure-track appointments, 114 are lecturers and 93 are supplemental instructional staff.
Among Asian faculty, 206 are tenured or tenure-track (up seven from 1995), 64 are lecturers (up five) and 50 are supplemental (down one).
There are 131 Black faculty members who are tenured or tenure-track (down five from last year), 20 who are lecturers (down three) and 29 who are supplemental (up four).
Among Hispanic faculty, 53 are tenured or tenure-track (up one from 1995), 28 are lecturers (down three) and 14 are supplemental (up seven).
There are seven tenured or tenure-track Native American faculty (no change from 1995), two lecturers (no change) and no supplemental (down one).
Overall, while total instructional staff fell 0.1 percent, minority faculty increased 1.9 percent. The number of Hispanic faculty rose 5.6 percent (from 90 to 95), Asians posted a 3.6 percent gain (from 309 to 320), Blacks decreased 2.2 percent (from 184 to 180) and Native Americans fell 10 percent (from 10 to nine).
“Overall, we continue to make progress in the recruitment of minority faculty,” says Lester P. Monts, vice provost for academic and multicultural affairs. “However, there remains an imbalance in the number of minority faculty, particularly among Native Americans and Latino/Latina Hispanics. We should increase our efforts to rectify this problem.
“My concern with faculty numbers is directed at retention. We should be just as concerned about the number of minority faculty we retain as well as the number we recruit. The University, under the auspices of the Michigan Mandate and the Michigan Agenda for Women provides ample resources to launch effective recruitment and retention programs, and all of our academic units should take advantage of these opportunities. I would like to see all of the minority professors hired this year become permanent members of the University community.”
