Recruitment and Retention of Faculty of Color in Community Colleges

A literature review on the body of knowledge around recruiting and retaining faculty of color, specifically in community colleges.

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In fall 2014, 42 percent of all undergraduates were enrolled at a community college and among all students who completed a degree at a four-year institution between 2013-2014, 46 percent had enrolled in a community college in the previous 10 years (Ma & Baum, 2016). This proportion is mirrored in the makeup of the faculty: 43 percent of all faculty members in public, nonprofit higher education institutions teach in public community colleges (Townsend & Twombly, 2007). The role of community colleges in higher education is rich and multifaceted: critical to local workforce development and labor needs, serving a high proportion of older students, veterans, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and first generation college students, community colleges are also important educational, social, and civic anchors in their communities (Robinson, Byrd, Louis, & Bonner, 2013).  It is appropriate then, to focus on the recruitment and retention of faculty of color, specifically at community colleges.  With their “front-line” status as open access institutions, community colleges serve as a crucial entry point to higher education for large portions of the population, making equity and diversity among students, staff, and faculty a top priority.