Harvard University Making Strides In Faculty Diversity

Harvard University has released an annual report on the status of women and minorities who are tenured and tenure-track faculty. This year, the percentages of both groups is at an all-time high; 60 percent of tenure-track and 41-percent of tenured faculty are women and/or minorities.

“Increasing the diversity of the faculty continues to be a major priority for Harvard’s leadership,” said Judith Singer, James Bryant Conant Professor of Education and senior vice provost for Faculty Development and Diversity. “The reality is, diversifying the faculty is slow, steady work, one search or one review at a time. But I am pleased with our truly measurable, positive progress over the past 15 years, which is a testament to the University’s commitment to providing the necessary resources to recruit and retain an increasingly diverse faculty. In short, this is not your father’s Harvard.”

Since 2004, the percentage of tenured faculty who are women and/or minorities is up 49 percent. Tenured-track appointments are up 54 percent for underrepresented minorities, which is particularly striking since the overall number of tenure-track faculty has decreased by 18 percent over the same time period.

Additionally, the percentage of women and/or minorities in tenure-track appointments in the sciences in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences has increased from 47 percent to 58 percent since 2004. In the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 52 percent of tenure-track faculty are women and/or minorities, up from 35 percent in 2004.

“The commitment from the Schools, and their deans and faculty members, has been central to our success,” said Singer. “The Schools hire faculty, and they share our goal of creating a more diverse Harvard.”

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs