Shakyra Antoine is a sophomore pursuing a major in Political Science and minor in Sociology. Shakyra serves on the Princemere editorial team, a member of GCSA’s Student Life Committee, and a member of AfroHamwe. Upon graduation, Shakyra is hoping to either get her Masters in Public Policy or earn a J.D. so that she can work as a legal representative for non-profit organizations in the city.
Higher educational institutions, particularly in the United States, are facing a growing epidemic of their faculty demographics failing to represent the demographics of their students. Faculty of color are unable to get hired at the same rates as their white colleagues, and those who do get hired are likely offered positions to replace departing faculty of color. With a mass exodus of expertise and experience in higher education, new minority hires struggle to adapt to their institutions due to a lack of social, academic, and professional resources. Consequently, minority students – who often seek advice, expertise, and understanding from faculty of color – are often left searching due to the limited amount of minority faculty in American colleges and universities. By implementing institutional policies focused on hiring, connecting, and mentoring minority faculty members, colleges, and universities will be more likely to both attain and retain faculty of color.