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Abstract

This article critiques the belief that minority faculty underrepresentation can be remedied through quick fixes, showing instead that entrenched structural and cultural forces require sustained, systemic responses. Drawing on national doctorate statistics, affirmative action surveys, and illustrative programs at Duke, Bucknell, and Stanford, this article traces how shrinking doctoral pipelines, lucrative private sector opportunities, rising tuition, and inadequate precollege preparation erode the supply of prospective scholars of color. It further reveals that once hired, minority professors encounter disproportionate advising loads, heavy committee service, isolation, and tenure expectations emphasizing quantitative publication metrics. Employing perspectives from higher education administration, diversity research, organizational change, and communication studies, this article proposes comprehensive strategies that include early mentoring, expanded doctoral recruitment, flexible search timelines, improved financial aid, and campus wide accountability. Such measures, it argues, are essential for achieving durable faculty diversity, advancing academic excellence, and promoting social equity within American colleges and universities.

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