KEY MINORITY RETENTION STRATEGIES UNDER WAY IN NEW AU ASSOCIATE PROVOST OF MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS AND DIVERSITY OFFICE
Several new Auburn University programs designed to recruit and retain minority faculty and students are under way, according to Overtoun Jenda, AU’s Associate Provost for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs.
“We’ve been busy developing and implementing programs that are well-designed to help the university attract and retain talented faculty and students who are either women or from diverse backgrounds,” Jenda said, adding that interim AU President Ed Richardson’s support in implementing retention elements of the Strategic Diversity Plan has been key to moving forward so quickly. “It’s exciting to see some of these programs already under way and working.”
One such program, AU’s Summer Salary Assistance Program, provides financial assistance to nine African American junior faculty to allow them to focus on research this summer without having to teach classes. The program is designed to help African American tenure-track faculty with four years or less of rank enhance their chances toward tenure and promotion through encouraging their summer research projects.
“This is an innovative program we’ve initiated to help us improve our retention of African American faculty,” Jenda said. “So far, it has been well received.”
Through the Summer Salary Assistance program, AU provides up to $20,000 per faculty member for summer research. The faculty member’s college, school or department may supplement the university assistance, as long as those additional funds are not contingent on teaching.
In addition, AU is providing one year of financial support for five African American postdoctoral fellows, each of whom will study for a year with an AU faculty member.
“This is another program about which we are very excited,” said Jenda. “We will support five very talented postdoctoral fellows who will be working closely with some of our top research faculty. Hopefully, we can then recruit participants in this program to fill our tenure-track teaching positions.” Each fellow is awarded up to $45,000; in many instances the award is being supplemented by the faculty member’s department and/or research grants.
AU is also supporting African American junior faculty under the Mentor Research Grant Project initiative. This initiative provides a supportive environment that promotes the professional development of African American junior faculty with three years or less in rank. The junior faculty member (mentee) works with an experienced and successful senior colleague (mentor) in the department. The grant award of up to $25,000 supports the mentee’s salary, technical and secretarial assistance, product or proposal development costs, and travel.
In total, AU is providing financial assistance to 16 African Americans to allow them to focus on research this summer and/or next academic year.
In addition to helping to keep its current African American faculty, Jenda believes that these programs could help AU attract additional minority faculty.
“As we are able to spread the word about these programs, these opportunities for young African American faculty will serve to make Auburn a more attractive place for them to come and build a career in higher education,” Jenda said.
Jenda said that AU will notify 40 incoming freshmen that they have been awarded scholarships under the university’s new Provost Leadership Undergraduate Scholarship, or PLUS, Program. Jenda said more than 200 students applied for the scholarships, which give priority to students who are first-generation college students, exhibit need under federal guidelines, are Alabama residents and/or have a diverse background.
The PLUS Scholarships provide $2,000 per year, renewable for up to three years. PLUS recipients must also agree to participate in the PLUS retention program for at least two years. Through the retention program, PLUS awardees will attend freshman and sophomore classes together in groups of 10-15 students. The program also provides the students with academic and social support that includes peer mentoring, leadership training, college survival skills, study and tutoring sessions and counseling services.
