Perspectives: Time for Community Colleges To Lead on Diversifying Faculty: Community colleges like to tout the fact that so many culturally diverse and minority students are enrolled in our institutions. Something else we are proud of is our mission, so succinctly described by Dr. George Boggs, president of the American Association of Community Colleges, in a 2009 Community College Journal article: “Among America’s institutions of higher education, community colleges have the greatest potential to advance true egalitarianism and to prepare the country’s future educated work force.”
So, given our talking points about the value of diversity in community colleges, why aren’t we doing a better job of diversifying our faculty? Minority faculty hiring has not kept pace with increases in minority student enrollment at public two-year colleges. While underrepresented minorities make up 39 percent of community college student enrollment, just 16.3 percent of faculty are of color, according to 2009 Digest of Education statistics.
