However, though the opinions of minority and White junior professors were slightly different, one thing that they agreed on was the effectiveness of informal mentoring. Both groups ranked informal mentoring as the most effective recruitment and retention practice, that include peer reviews of teaching and research and paid or unpaid personal leave time.
“Junior faculties of color often at times are in the minority and therefore may experience isolation and less of a sense of fit and value in their department,” says Trower. “Thus is the importance of informal mentoring of faculty of color … by senior faculty who take them under their wings.”
The Internet-based Tenure-Track Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey was completed by nearly 7,000 junior faculty of the 77 colleges and universities that are members of COACHE. Professors were surveyed about their experiences during the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 academic years.
The report, funded by member colleges and universities, the Ford Foundation and the Atlantic Philanthropies, is used to assist institutions in recruiting and retaining junior faculty.
In addition to the report, COACHE also hosts workshops, conferences and facilitates open dialogue on best practices for recruiting and retaining faculties.
COACHE member institutions include Harvard, Stanford University, Northeastern University, Virginia Commonwealth University and Winston-Salem State University.
--Margaret Kamara
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