The Struggles of Foreign-born Faculty
Conflicts between African and African-American professors
must be addressed.
By Emmanuel K. Ngwainmbi
When any academic embarks on a teaching career, he must confront
three challenges — tenure, promotion and recognition. He must be continually evaluated on his ability to teach, conduct research, publish and perform other duties within and around the campus in order to augment the relationship between the institution and the community.
However, the challenges grow even more difficult for foreign-born faculty. About one-third of the professors at historically Black colleges and universities come from developing areas, mainly Africa and India. Though highly qualified, many say they are overworked, underpaid, underappreciated and face discrimination from African-American professors, students and staff.
If they are invited to serve in the administration, foreign professors are often stuck in the lower echelons as program advisers, coordinators or chairpersons. And in an era when the global marketplace is increasingly seeking graduates who can relate to clients from diverse backgrounds, administrators, hiring units and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ought to be paying closer attention to the plight of foreign staff now.
The wings of globalization are spreading quickly around the world, and an understanding of foreign cultures is no longer optional. Yet, as more developing nations embrace democratic governance and implement free-market policies, migration to the United States could slow. HBCUs in particular could be hit hard, as talented foreign scholars choose to remain in their native lands. Smaller schools could close down or face a major recruiting crisis of qualified instructors.
