Blacks Making Little Progress in Positions That Serve as Stepping Stones to College and University Presidencies

The American Council on Education and the University Professional Association for Human Resources recently completed a survey showing the racial breakdown of people in senior-level positions at colleges and universities. These are the posts from which a large percentage of the next generation of college and university presidents will come.

The results of the survey are very disappointing. The data shows that in 2006 blacks made up 5.9 percent of all people in posts such as executive vice president, provost, and academic deans. This is just barely above the level blacks had achieved two decades ago. In 2006 blacks were 5 percent of all college and university provosts, the post that is most likely to lead to a college presidency.