Survey Finds No Progress in Increasing the Diversity of the University Leadership Pipeline

A new report from the American Council on Education and the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPR-HR) examines the racial and gender diversity of the pipeline for future college and university presidents. The results of the survey point to the likelihood that little progress can be expected in the years ahead in the number of Blacks and other minorities in leadership positions at our leading educational institutions. Today, about 13 percent of all college and university presidents are from underrepresented minority groups.

The survey of senior administrators at colleges and universities across the United States found that between 2008 and 2013 the percentage of Blacks and other minorities in top posts remained the same. The posts include provost, chief academic officer, executive vice president, and deans of academic colleges. The survey found that the percentage of Blacks in the position of chief academic officer actually declined from 3.7 percent in 2008 to 2.3 percent today.

tiaa02029775Stephanie Bell-Rose, director of the TIAA-CREF Institute, which helped fund the study, commented: “Diversity of both thought and background helps drive fresh ideas and perspectives, enriching the intellectual and cultural environment of an organization. This study underscores the importance of developing a diverse higher education leadership pipeline, which is essential to meeting the needs of an increasing diverse student population.”

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

University of Maryland Reports on Its Historic Ties to Slavery

"This new research report is an important first step in confronting and disrupting the narrative of our shared history. It challenges us to see through the privileged half-truths we’ve long held as a university and to create a more inclusive and truthful documented history," said Lae’l Hughes-Watkins, co-chair of The 1856 Project.

Yale University Commits $10 million Toward HBCU Partnerships

Yale University issued a formal apology three weeks ago regarding its historical ties to slavery. In response, the university has pledged $10 million towards an initiative that aims to expand collaboration with historically Black colleges and universities.

Gallup Survey Finds Black Students More Likely Than Their White Peers to Withdraw From College

A 2023 survey conducted by Gallup in partnership with the Lumina Foundation has found that 40 percent of currently enrolled Black students have considered stopping their coursework in the past six months, compared to 31 percent of White students.

Recent Books of Interest to African American Scholars

The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. The books included are on a wide variety of subjects and present many different points of view.

Featured Jobs