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If a university is committed to diversity, how is that communicated to faculty and hiring committees? How does the school talk about diversity as an asset model versus a deficit one? 

These were just a few of the many questions posed by Cynthia Neal Spence, PhD, associate professor at Spelman College and director of the UNCF/Mellon Programs, who spoke Friday, Jan. 31 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Center for Faculty Development and Innovation (CFDI). 

Jessica Harris, PhD, interim assistant provost for inclusive academic excellence, coordinated Spence’s visit for the purpose of encouraging additional support for the Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU) recruitment initiative in graduate admissions and other campus-wide intentional efforts. 

Spence noted and congratulated attendees on SIUE’s Statement on Diversity and Strategic Goals and for the University winning the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award for six consecutive years. 

“It sounds extremely good,” said Spence. “It is clear that you all have been talking a lot about diversity.

What we are here to talk about today is do the words meet the actions, and how do we actualize what we say?” 

Spence, who has served on evaluation teams, informed the audience on some diversity items that are scrutinized:

• How is diversity represented physically?
• What is the number of faculty of color?
• What are retention rates for faculty, staff and students of color?
• What is the tenure track like for people of color?
• Why do people of color come, and why do they leave?
• How does the curriculum reflect diversity across departments? 

She also posed these questions to the audience:

• “When individuals do not stay long, what are you learning from that? What changes are you making?”
• “If you’re interested in diversity in faculty, staff and administrators, what are you doing? Are you just waiting around to see if anyone applies? Are you actively seeking applicants that are more diverse? Where are you publishing your advertisements? How are you letting people know that this might be a good place to work? Is your message to staff that mobility is not just for individuals who look one way? Are you letting faculty know that SIUE is a place where they can do research that will be respected, and they will be able to move to the tenure track?” 

It is critical that the University community not consider or buy into the “deficit model,” according to Spence. 

“Some people believe that if you bring in diverse groups, then they won’t have the same quality as others. And that’s a problem,” she explained. “Because with diversity, you should be looking for the top caliber individual, and there are individuals who meet those criteria who represent people of color. They are all across the universe, and I deal with them on a day-to-day basis. There are highly credentialed individuals who have gone through the same training as everyone else – and that is an asset model.” 

One way to fill the diversity slack, Spence offered, is to form partnerships. 

“Partnerships matter because they can help bridge the gap and provide valuable resources,” said Spence. “HBCUs make for good partners, because they already have excellent track records.” 

Some HBCUs facts that Spence noted:

• HBCUs enroll 20% of all African American college graduates
• HBCUs account for 17% bachelor degrees and nearly 25% of African Americans with STEM degrees
• There are 106 historically black colleges and universities in the U.S.
• Nine of the top 10 colleges that graduate most of the African American students who earn PhDs are HBCUs 

“SIUE has a distinguished faculty member, Dr. Howard Rambsy, and an interim assistant provost, Dr. Jessica Harris, who are both HBCU alums—Tougaloo College and Dillard University, respectively— and a testament to the possibility, credibility and importance of diversity in higher education,” said Spence. 

“I am inspired and encouraged by the reactions to Dr. Spence’s visit,” said Harris. “I am eager to collaborate with our provost, deans, faculty and staff to identify opportunities for us to partner with HBCUs and other minority serving institutions, and look forward to SIUE making a lasting contribution to the diversification of the academic pipeline.” 

Photos:
Cynthia Neal Spence, PhD, associate professor at Spelman College and director of the UNCF/Mellon Programs, talks about partnerships with historically black colleges and universities. 

(L-R): Jessica Harris, PhD, interim assistant provost for Inclusive Academic Excellence; Spence; and Howard Rambsy II, PhD, professor in SIUE’s Department of English Language and Literature.