Faculty diversity and graduation rates: a zero-sum effect

ABSTRACT

Texas higher education institutions serve some of the most diverse student populations in U.S. institutions. However, graduation rates remain among the lowest in the United States, particularly for underrepresented minority students. Diverse faculty members who act as mentors have the potential to increase underrepresented minority students’ graduation rates. Yet few studies have examined these relationships. Using data from the 2021 Integrated Post-Secondary Data System (IPEDS), this quantitative study contributes to this line of research by examining the correlations of overall faculty diversity and faculty race/ethnic match and mismatch with graduation rates of students by race/ethnicity in Texas. Similar to past research, findings suggested a zero-sum effect: a significant positive relationship between faculty and students of the same racial/ethnic background and a negative correlation between faculty diversity and the graduation rates of students from different racial/ethnic backgrounds than faculty. These results suggest that further research is needed to determine what other variables might influence such findings and how faculty can support students from different racial/ethnic backgrounds.

KEYWORDS:

• Faculty diversity
• graduation rates
• underrepresented minority
• zero-sum

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Steve Wilson

Dr. Steve Wilson is the department head and an associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith. He served in the U.S. Air Force and as a police officer before earning his Ph.D. in criminal justice in 2005 from the University of Nebraska. He teaches courses related to criminal procedure, management and supervision, research methods and statistics. Dr. Wilson’s research interests include organizational policy development, curriculum development, firearm violence, concealed weapons, and attitudes toward the criminal justice system. He received the James L. Madison Award for Best Published Article in 2012.

Alexis McCullough-Wilson

Dr. Alexis McCullough-Wilson holds a Doctor of Education from North Central University. Dr. Wilson has worked in higher education serving students for over 20 years. She has over 10 years of experience teaching undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Wilson’s research includes quantitative studies related to faculty diversity and its role in the retention and graduation rates of underrepresented minority students.