Tufts has trouble retaining minority, female profs

The University has had difficulty retaining minority and female tenured and tenure-track faculty, according to the initial findings of a recently commissioned study by Kaleidoscope Group. The findings parallel those of previous studies done by the University.

The study, which is meant to shed light on the qualitative reasons for which professors leave Tufts, will be completed and released at the end of the semester.

Until now, the University has only gathered informal evidence about faculty departure. There was a need for "systematic, not anecdotal, evidence," said Margery Davies, director of Diversity Education and Development for Arts and Sciences.

Past and present faculty are being interviewed to determine concrete reasons for departure. Kaleidscope Group will attempt to ascertain the differences between faculty members who stay and those who leave.

An external group was hired because they are often better able to perform a more comprehensive and thorough investigation, Davies said. "I would be surprised if the study doesn't come up with differences" as compared to a previous University study, she said.

The previous study, initiated by former Vice President of Arts Sciences & Engineering Mel Bernstein, also showed that minorities and women were more apt to leave Tufts prematurely. The study examined groups of faculty hired between 1991 and 1996. Of the professors hired during a certain period, 64 percent of men and 42 percent of women remained at the end of the period; only 38 percent of Asian, Black and Hispanic professors remained, compared to 61 percent for Caucasian professors.

The lower retention rates for women may be explained by the fact that tenure is often sought around the age at which many people choose to start a family. Tenure-track positions are demanding and involve research, teaching, and other responsibilities. More than 70 hours of work per week is often required.

Tufts might be able to retain more women professors by allowing maternity leave and the ability to "stop the clock" on the tenure track, Davies said.

Increasing retention rates for minorities presents a different set of challenges. Minorities often leave universities because of an uncomfortable working environment, Davies said. It is unclear whether this is the case at Tufts, since the University places a high value on having a diverse faculty, which provides "a much richer learning environment," Davies said.

Faculty members such as French Professor Viola Thomas feel that diversity is in fact a benefit of working at the University. Thomas said she has found a nice community and that the supposed pressure of diversity is more of an asset.

Next month, the University will hold a workshop concerning minority faculty retention. Other universities have used faculty sensitivity training to improve minority professors' work environment.

At Tufts, candidates in tenure-track positions are reviewed for tenure in their sixth year. Tenure is granted only after the candidate has been reviewed and approved by his or her department, the deans, the president, and the Board of Trustees. Tenured professors are guaranteed a position at the University barring misconduct.