Dive Brief:
- Growing divisions between black and non-black faculty at Kentucky State University and Lincoln University of Missouri are providing challenges for administrators at the historically black institutions.
- At KSU, a contingent of black faculty members is alleging that the majority-white faculty Senate is not representing their interests, and votes are often divided along racial lines.
- Faculty at both institutions are questioning decisions around certain program closures, as well as the materials which are being introduced to students, which may not reflect a commitment to utilizing texts which embrace the experiences and perspectives of the black students.
Dive Insight:
While recent years have been marked by racial controversies in higher education, many have traditionally considered historically black institutions a safe space for minority students. However, as institutions of all types are becoming more diverse, both in student enrollment and faculty and administrator hiring, these challenges are increasingly coming to the forefront. Last week, outcry arose at Howard University over a white professor's decision to hold a mock slave auction in class.
Administrators on campuses across the higher education landscape must take care to emphasize institutional commitment to not just diversity, but inclusion as well — recruitment and retention efforts depend on it. This extends to the black-white divide, but also to students from other countries, LGBT students, disabled students, adult learners and others who may not conform to the idea of the traditional majority.