2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

As of 2020, there were 1.5 million faculty members in post-secondary institutions (NCES, 2022). Of these 1.5 million, there is only seven percent Black faculty and six percent Hispanic faculty (NCES, 2022). Black and Hispanic faculty are not only underrepresented at selective public universities but especially so in the areas of science and math (Li & Koedel, 2017). Departments of engineering have often found slim or even zero numbers of underrepresented minority faculty members (Nelson & Brammer, 2010). While some of these problems can be attributed to the challenges of the recruitment of faculty of color, scholars have focused on faculty attrition as a core problem to developing Black and Hispanic Faculty in their departments (Whitakeret al., 2015).

The current study has two objectives. The first is to understand how engineering demographic characteristics are associated with those perceptions for Black and Hispanic engineering faculty (BHEF). Secondly, the study aimed to focus on the barriers that BHEF endure as they are navigating the tenure process. The team conducted a national cross-sectional survey and a longitudinal two interview series to further investigate the survey responses. The survey included 1,161 engineering faculty was analyzed. Of these faculty respondents, open-ended responses of the survey portion of the study, 26 Black faculty members and 51 Hispanic faculty members responded. Looking at the breakdown more in-depth, the respondents were 21 Black men, 5 Black women, 35 Hispanic men, and 16 Hispanic women. On the interview side of the study, we conducted two rounds of interviews, the first including 14 BHEF members and the second including nine to follow-up a year later. These interviews are used to further understand the survey information.

From the open-ended questions of the survey and the two series longitudinal interview data, we highlight three themes (1) The Importance of Professional development and mentorship, (2) Understanding the Tenure and Promotion process in engineering departments, and (3) Developing a faculty identity during COVID-19.

The Importance of Professional development and mentorship. Participants allured to the various mentoring and intentional faculty development settings that are needed and wanted to grow as a junior/early career faculty member. Quotes enhance the areas of 1) wanting a way to connect to senior faculty members in their fields/colleges, 2) Searching and keeping mentors from outside their institutions, and 3) Searching for opportunities to learn/ obtain information for requirements of Tenure and Promotion.

Understanding the Tenure and Promotion process in engineering departments. Participants spoke in detail about the worries they had about the process. Some of the areas of concern are highlighted by a few select quotes.  These quotes highlight the external funding expectations of 1) Engineering faculty, 2) the lack of clear guidelines, and 3) research bias.

Developing a faculty identity during COVID-19. The major underlying conversation that BHEF have mentioned are the obstacles and opportunities that COVID-19 has presented as they navigated the early career.

Finally, we conclude by integrating our results to understand the open-ended survey responses with our interview findings, together.