“It’s important to point out that diversity requires going beyond the composition of the students who are enrolled. It requires diversity at all levels,” Slaughter said, adding that “pipeline problems” have become a convenient excuse for the lack of diversity in the faculty ranks.

He insisted, however, that other factors, such as the difficulty minorities have in finding dissertation advisers and mentors and unwelcoming campus climates, deter minority students from pursuing a post-graduate education.

Statistics reveal that there is, indeed, a shortage of minority doctoral students for institutions to recruit from, particularly in STEM fields.

The Council of Graduate Schools 2008 report showed that, while the number of doctoral degrees in science and engineering earned by underrepresented minorities doubled in the last two decades, these degrees comprise about 10 percent of the total STEM doctorates awarded to U.S. citizens.

To improve access of minority students to graduate schools, the report offered several recommendations. Among them were organizing a national summit on investing in human capital and talent in the 21st century, creating incentives for all students to pursue a graduate program in critical fields through competitive fellowships and loan forgiveness, and increasing inclusiveness within graduate programs by providing students with the support and resources they need to graduate.

“Is it really a wonder for eight of the top 10 institutions that produce the most African-American graduates who go on to receive doctorates from this nation’s finest graduate schools are HBCUs?” asked Slaughter, adding that “Black colleges, Hispanic-serving institutions and some predominately White colleges have programs that are characterized by close relationships with faculty and students, exposure to research and the faculty way of life.”