Exclusion in Academia: Latina Faculty Struggle towards Tenure
Raquel Sapeg
- Dr. Raquel Sapeg is the Deputy Chief of Academic Programs for Ana G. Mendez University. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Arts from Fordham University United States
john Sienrukos
- Dr. Sienrukos holds a doctorate degree in Management and Organization from Capella University, a Master’s degree in Counseling from California State University
- Keywords:
- Latino Students, Academic Environment, Encouragement
- Abstract:
- The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the lived experiences of underrepresented tenured Latina faculty in one four-year university in the southeast area of the United States to identify barriers towards achieving tenure. Eight tenured Latina faculty with experience of 7 to 20 or more years in a tenured position provided their perceptions and experiences of the challenges and support they encountered in their pursuit of tenure. A snowball sampling technique produced eight participants from an initial recruitment from an online search. Semi-structured interviews via in-person and audio-video conferences offered rich descriptions of the Latina faculty’s experiences for coding and analysis. The NVivo for Mac software (QSR International, 2015) supported the coding and analysis process of the participant’s responses. Five main themes emerged from the patterns found in the analysis. The five findings included: organizational exclusionary practices against Latina faculty at the university; white male-oriented culture where resources are used to benefit white males; demoralizing micro-aggressions towards Latina faculty from white faculty; the university leadership’s lack of action and accountability to address diversity and inclusion challenges; and the lack of support networks and mentoring to help guide Latina faculty. These findings described an exclusionary academic environment, where the Latina faculty often felt insulted, isolated, and underappreciated with little to no opportunity to advance or contribute equally to the university. This study contributed to the literature by addressing various reasons higher educational institutions need to remove barriers that negatively affect Latina faculty seeking tenure actively.
- Abdul-Raheem, J. (2016). Faculty diversity and tenure in higher education. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 23(2), 53- 56.
- Alexander-Floyd, N. (2015). Women of color, space invaders, and political science: Practical strategies for transforming institutional practices. PS, Political Science & Politics, 48(3), 464-468. doi:10.1017/S1049096515000256
- Alston-Mills, B. (2011). Using appreciative inquiry to promote diversity in higher education. Journal of Diversity Management, 6(3), 1. doi:10.19030/jdm.v6i3.6606
- Babalola, S. S., & Marques, L. (2013). Integrated approach to workplace diversity through human resource management. Journal of Social and Development Sciences, 4(9), 435-445.
- Bell, D. (1987). And we will not be saved: The elusive quest for social justice. New York, NY: Basic Books.
- Bendick, M., Egan, M., & Lanier, L. (2010). The business case for diversity and the perverse practice of matching employees to customers. Personnel Review, 39(4), 468-486. doi:10.1108/00483481011045425
- Berg, B. L., & Lune, H. (2012). Qualitative research method for the social sciences (8th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.
- Bohon, S. A., Johnson, M. K., & Gorman, B. K. (2006). College aspirations and expectations among Latino adolescents in the United States. Social Problems, 53(2), 207-255. doi:10.1525/sp.2006.53.2.207
- Bustin, G. (2014). Accountability: The key to driving a high-performance culture. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
- Castaneda, M. E., Bateh, J., & Heyliger, W. (2013). Areas of cross-cultural difference in the workplace. Journal of International Education Research, 9(2), 165-170. doi:10.19030/jier.v9i2.7721
- Castañeda, M., Zambrana, R. E., Marsh, K., Vega, W., Becerra, R., & Pérez, D. J. (2015). Role of institutional climate on underrepresented faculty perceptions and decision making in use of work-family policies. Family Relations, 64(5), 711-725. doi: 10.1111/fare.12159
- Chang, A., Welton, A. D., Martinez, M. A., & Cortez, L. (2013). Becoming academicians: An ethnographic analysis of the figured worlds of racially underrepresented female faculty. Negro Educational Review, 64(1), 97-118,135.
- Comeaux, E. (2013). Faculty perceptions of high-achieving male collegians: A critical race theory analysis. Journal of College Student Development, 54(5), 453-465. doi:10.1353/csd.2013.0071
- Cope, D. G. (2014). Methods and meanings: Credibility and trustworthiness of qualitative research. Oncology Nursing Forum, 41(1), 89-91. doi:10.1188/14.ONF.89-91
- Crenshaw, K. W. (1997). Color blindness, history, and the law. In W. Lubiano (Ed.), The house that race built: Black Americans, U.S. terrain (pp. 280-288). New York, NY: Pantheon Books.
- Crenshaw, K. W. (2007). Framing affirmative action. Michigan Law Review First Impressions, 105(4), 123-133.
- Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
- Delgado, R., & Stefancic, J. (1995). Critical race theory: The cutting edge. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
- Diggs, G. A., Garrison-Wade, D., Estrada, D., & Galindo, R. (2009). Smiling faces and colored spaces: The experiences of faculty of color pursing tenure in the academy. The Urban Review, 41(4), 312-333. doi:10.1007/s11256-008-0113-y
- Duff, A. J. (2013). Performance management coaching: Servant leadership and gender implications. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 34(3), 204-221. doi: 10.1108/01437731311326657
- Edmondson, V. C., Dale, L., Feldman, G., & Yarber, A. (2011). From desegregation to diversity management in alabama public universities: A narrative review. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 30(4), 318-331. doi:10.1108/02610151111135769
- Ehrenfels, C. V. (1890). Über Gestaltqualitäten. Vierteljahrsschrift für wissenschaftliche. Philosophie, 14, 249-292.
- Ellis, K. M., & Keys, P. Y. (2015). Workforce diversity and shareholder value: A multi-level perspective. Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, 44(2), 191-212. doi:10.1007/s11156-013-0403-7
- Excelencia in Education. (2015). The condition of Latinos in education: 2015 factbook. Washington, D.C.: Author.
- Freeman, A. (1978). Legitimizing racial discrimination through antidiscrimination law: A critical review of Supreme Court doctrine. Minnesota Law Review, 62(6), 1049-1119.
- Fregeau, L., & Leier, R. (2016). Two Latina teachers: Culture, success, higher education. Taboo, 15(1), 61-78.
- Fridell, M., Newcom Belcher, R., & Messner, P. E. (2009). Discriminate analysis gender public school principal servant leadership differences. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 30(8), 722-736. doi:10.1108/01437730911003894
- García, I. O., & Henderson, S. J. (2015). Mentoring experiences of Latina graduate students. Multicultural Learning and Teaching, 10(1), 91-109. doi:10.1515/mlt-2014-0003
- Gardner, S. K. (2013). Women faculty departures from a striving institution: Between a rock and a hard place. The Review of Higher Education, 36(3), 349-370. doi:10.1353/rhe.2013.0025
- Garrison-Wade, D., Diggs, G. A., Estrada, D., & Galindo, R. (2012). Lift every voice and sing: Faculty of color face the challenges of the tenure track. The Urban Review, 44(1), 90-112. doi:10.1007/s11256-011-0182-1
- Gasser, C. E., & Shaffer, K. S. (2014). Career development of women in academia: Traversing the leaky pipeline. The Professional Counselor, 4(4), 332-352. doi:10.15241/ceg.4.4.332
- Gonzales, L. D., Murakami, E., & Nunez, A. (2013). Latina faculty in the labyrinth: Constructing and contesting legitimacy in Hispanic serving institutions. The Journal of Educational Foundations, 27(1), 65-89.
- Hancock, M. E., Amankwaa, L., Revell, M. A., & Mueller, D. (2016). Focus group data saturation: A new approach to data analysis. The Qualitative Report, 21(11), 2124-2130. Retrieved from http://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol21/iss11/13
- Hearn, J. C., Warshaw, J. B., & Ciarimboli, E. B. (2016). Privatization and accountability trends and policies in U.S. public higher education. Education and Science: Egitim Ve Bilim, 41(184), 1-26. doi:10.15390/EB.2016.6270
- Hernández, E. (2016). Utilizing critical race theory to examine Race/Ethnicity, racism, and power in student development theory and research. Journal of College Student Development, 57(2), 168-180. doi:10.1353/csd.2016.0020
- Houghton, C., Casey, D., Shaw, D., & Murphy, K. (2013). Rigour in qualitative case-study research. Nurse Researcher, 20(4), 12-17.
- Hyett, N., Kenny, A., & Dickson-Swift, V. (2014). Methodology or method? A critical review of qualitative case study reports. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 9(1), 1-12. doi:10.3402/qhw.v9.23606
- Ivey, J. (2012). The value of qualitative research methods. Pediatric Nursing, 38(6), 319.
- Kanter, M. (2011). American higher education: “First in the world.” Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 43(3), 7-19. doi:10.1080/00091383.2011.568896
- Kelly, B. T., & McCann, K. I. (2014). Women faculty of color: Stories behind the statistics. The Urban Review, 46(4), 681-702. doi:10.1007/s11256-014-0275-8
- Kent, A. M., Kochan, F., & Green, A. M. (2013). Cultural influences on mentoring programs and relationships: A critical review of research. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 2(3), 204-217. doi:10.1108/IJMCE-08-2013-0047
- Kim, Y. (2011). Minorities in higher education: Twenty-fourth annual status report: 2011 supplement. Washington, DC: American Council on Education. Retrieved from http://diversity.ucsc.edu/resources/images/ace_report.pdf
- Lakshmi, S., & Mohideen, M. A. (2013). Issues in reliability and validity of research. International Journal of Management Research and Reviews, 3(4), 2752-2758. Retrieved from
- http://ijmrr.com/admin/upload_data/journal_S_Lakshmi 8apr13mrr.pdf
- Lee, J. A. (2010). Students’ perceptions of and satisfaction with faculty diversity. College Student Journal, 44(2), 400-412.
- Leininger, M. (1994). Evaluation criteria and critiques of qualitative research studies. In J. M. Morse (Eds.), Critical issues in Qualitative Research Methods (pp. 95-115). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
- Liang, B., & Grossman, J. M. (2007). Diversity and youth mentoring relationships. In T. D. Allen & L. T. Eby (Eds.),
- The Blackwell Handbook of Mentoring: A Multiple Perspectives Approach (pp. 239-258). Malden, MA: Blackwell.
- Liden, R. C., Wayne, S. J., Zhao, H., & Henderson, D. (2008). Servant leadership: Development of a multidimensional measure and multi-level assessment. Leadership Quarterly, 19(2), 161-177. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2008.01.006
- Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
- Long-Sutehall, T., Sque, M., & Addington-Hall, J. (2010). Secondary analysis of qualitative data: a valuable method for exploring sensitive issues with an elusive population. Journal of Research in Nursing, 16(4), 335-344. doi:10.1177/1744987110381553
- Machado-Casas, M., Ruiz, E. C., & Cantú, N. E. (2013). Laberintos y testimonios: Latina faculty in the academy. The Journal of Educational Foundations, 27(1), 3-14.
- Martinez, A. Y. (2014). A plea for critical race theory counterstory: Stock story versus counter-story dialogues concerning Alejandra’s “fit” in the academy. Composition Studies, 42(2), 33-55, 188.
- Martinez, S., & Toutkoushian, R. K. (2014). Decomposing the differences in time allocation and research output between Latino and non-Latino white faculty. Latino Studies, 12(4), 566-595. doi:10.1057/lst.2014.56
- McCoy, S. K., Newell, E. E., & Gardner, S. K. (2013). Seeking balance: The importance of environmental conditions in men and women faculty’s well-being. Innovative Higher Education, 38(4), 309-322. doi:10.1007/s10755-012- 9242-z
- McGlynn, A. P. (2014). Degree attainment and college-going rates increase but gaps remain. The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, 25(4), 19-21.
- Medina, C., & Luna, G. (2000). Narratives from Latina professors in higher education. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 31(1), 47-66. doi:10.1525/aeq.2000.31.1.47
- Mellahi, K., & Frynas, J. (2015). Global strategic management (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
- Mor Barak, M. (2013). Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
- Morris, C. (2016). Experts say Latino student enrollment outpacing faculty tenure pace. Diverse Issues in Higher Education, 33(19), 8-9.
- Nica, E. (2013). The importance of leadership development within higher education. Contemporary Readings in Law and Social Justice, 5(2), 189-194.
- Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
- Nuñez, A., & Murakami-Ramalho, E. (2012). The demographic dividend: Why the success of Latino faculty and students is critical. Academe, 98(1), 32-37. Retrieved from https://www.aaup.org
- Oliva, M., Rodríguez, M. A., Alanís, I., & Cerecer, P. D. Q. (2013). At home in the academy: Latina faculty counter- stories and resistances. The Journal of Educational Foundations, 27(1), 91-109.
- Orlando-Barack, L. (2003). In between worlds: The tensions of in-service mentoring in Israel. In F. K. Kochan &J. T. Pascarelli (Eds.), Global Perspectives on Mentoring: Transforming Contexts, Communities, and Cultures (pp. 191- 210). Greenwich, CT: Information Age.
- Parris, D. L., & Peachey, J. W. (2013). A Systematic Literature Review of Servant Leadership Theory in Organizational Contexts. Journal of Business Ethics, 113(3), 377-393. doi:10.1007/s 10551-012-1322-6
- Patel, L. (2015). Desiring diversity and backlash: White property rights in higher education. The Urban Review, 47(4), 657-675. doi:10.1007/s11256-015-0328-7
- Patten, M. (2014). Understanding research methods: An overview of the essentials. Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Publishing.
- Pifer, M. J., & Baker, V. L. (2013). Managing the process: The intradepartmental networks of early-career academics. Innovative Higher Education, 38(4), 323-337. doi:10.1007/s10755-012-9243-y
- QSR International. (2015). NVivo for Mac [Computer software]. Burlington, MA: Author.
- Qu, S. Q., & Dumay, J. (2011). The qualitative research interview. Qualitative Research in Accounting and Management, 8(3), 238-264. doi:10.1108/11766091111162070
- Randel, A. E., Dean, M. A., Ehrhart, K. H., Chung, B., & Shore, L. (2016). Leader inclusiveness, psychological diversity climate, and helping behaviors. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 31(1), 216-234. doi:10.1108/JMP-04-2013-0123
- Roberts, P., Priest, H., & Traynor, M. (2006). Reliability and validity in research. Nursing Standard, 20(44), 41-45. doi:10.7748/ns2006.07.20.44.41.c6560
- Rodler, C., Kirchler, E., & Holzl, E. (2001). Gender stereotypes of leaders: An analysis of the contents of obituaries from 1974 to 1998. Sex Roles, 45(11), 827-843. doi:10.1023/A:1015644520770
- Roscoe, J. L. (2015). Advising African American and Latino students. Research & Teaching in Developmental Education, 31(2), 48-60.
- Sabharwal, M. (2014). Is diversity management sufficient? Organizational inclusion to further performance. Public Personnel Management, 43(2), 197-217. doi:10.1177/0091026014522202
- Saldaña, J. (2011). Fundamentals of qualitative research: Understanding qualitative research. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
- Saldaña, L. P., Castro-Villarreal, F., & Sosa, E. (2013). Testimonios of Latina junior faculty: Bridging academia, family, and community lives in the academy. The Journal of Educational Foundations, 27(1), 31-48.
- Sánchez, P., & Ek, L. D. (2013). Before the tenure track: Graduate school “testimonios” and their importance in our “profesora”-ship today. The Journal of Educational Foundations, 27(1), 15-30.
- Santos, S. J., & Reigadas, E. (2002). Latinos in higher education: An evaluation of a university faculty mentoring program. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 1(1), 40-50. doi:10.1177/1538192702001001004
- Simon, M. K. (2010). Dissertations and scholarly research: Recipes for success (Updated 1st ed.). Seattle, WA: Dissertation Success, LLC.
- Smith, B. P., & Johnson-Bailey, J. (2011/2012). Student ratings of teaching effectiveness: Implications for non- white women in the academy. Negro Educational Review, 62/63(1-4), 115-140, 266.
- Stake, R. E. (2010). Qualitative research: Studying how things work. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
- Stevenson, H. (2016). Awareness and emergence: A gestalt approach to global diversity and inclusion. Gestalt Review, 20(2), 162-187.
- Taylor, S., Bogdan, R., & Devault, M. (2016). Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods: A Guide and Resource.
- Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
- Téllez, M. (2013). Lectures, evaluations, and diapers: Navigating the terrains of Chicana single motherhood in the academy. Feminist Formations, 25(3), 79-97. doi:10.1353/ff.2013.0039
- Tobin, G., & Begley, C. (2006) Methodological rigor within a qualitative framework. Journal of Advance Nursing. 48(4), 388-396. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2004.03207.x
- U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration. (2012). The population with Bachelor’s Degree or higher by race and Hispanic origin: 2006-2010 (Report No. ACSBR/10-19). By
- S. U. Ogunwole, M. P. Drewery, Jr., and M. Rios-Vargas. Washington, DC. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/acsbr10-19.pdf
- U.S. Census Bureau. (2015). Facts for Feature: Hispanic Heritage Month 2015: Sept. 15–Oct. 15 (Release No. CB15- FF.18). Washington, DC. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2015/cb15- ff18.html
- U.S. Census Bureau. (2016, October 12). Profile America facts for features: Hispanic Heritage Month 2016 (Release No. CB16-FF.16). Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/newsroom/facts-for-features/2016/cb16-ff16.pdf
- U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2015). Characteristics of Postsecondary Faculty. In G. Kena, L. Musu-Gillette, J. Robinson, X. Wang, A. Rathbun, J. Zhang, S. Wilkinson-Flicker, A. Barmer, E.
- Dunlop Velez (Eds.), The condition of education 2015 (pp. 226-229). (Pub. No. NCES 2015-144). Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch
- U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2016). Status and trends in the education of racial and ethnic groups 2016 (Pub. No. NCES 2016-007). By L. Musu-Gillette, L. Robinson, J. Farland, A. KewalRamani, A. Zhang, and S. Wilkinson-Flicker. Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch
- U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2011). Women at Work. Spotlight on Statistics. Retrieved http://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2011/women/
- Vasquez, O. A., Flores, B. B., & Clark, E. R. (2013). Lo último: Consejos-un diálogo respetoso entre colegas. The Journal of Educational Foundations, 27(1), 111-118.
- Wallace, D., Budden, M., Juban, R., & Budden, C. (2014). Making it to the top: Have women and minorities attained equality as higher education leaders? Journal of Diversity Management, 9(1), 83-88. doi:10.19030/jdm.v9i1.8625
- Wade-Berg, J. (2012). Perspectives on work/life balance: An interview with heather carpenter. The Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership, 2(3) Retrieved from http://js.sagamorepub.com/jnel/article/view/4953
- Wilson, J. L. (2015). Presidential plans: New college presidents and diversity efforts. Planning for Higher Education Journal, 44(1), 76-86.
- Wilson, J. L. (2016). Public institution governing boards: The invisible key factor in diversity planning efforts in higher education. Planning for Higher Education Journal, 44(4), 58-69.
- Wilson, J. L., & Meyer, K. A. (2013). The treatment and use of best practices for diversity in position announcements for new presidents. Innovative Higher Education, 38(2), 91-104. doi:10.1007/s10755-012-9227-y
- Yazan, B. (2015). Three approaches to case study methods in education: Yin, Merriam, and Stake. The Qualitative Report, 20(2), 134-152. Retrieved from http://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol20/iss2/12
Published
- May 1, 2019
Categories
Copyright
- Copyright (c) 2020 Raquel Sapeg
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.