Preconference

The PhD Project: An Evidence-Based Approach to Attracting and Retaining New Faculty of Color Across Applied Disciplines

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Abstract

Launched in 1994, The PhD Project was inspired by business faculty working with large financial services companies--companies seeking a more diverse workforce to better serve an increasingly diverse customer base. Companies were frustrated by the dearth of business-school graduates of color, and their investigations revealed that not having faculty of color in business schools was a major factor behind students of color choosing other disciplines. The PhD Project started with one primary mission--increasing the number of business school professors of color--and it has been singularly successful. Since The PhD Project began, the number of business school professors of color has increased from 294 to 1,344, with an additional 278 doctoral students of color are in the pipeline. The PhD Project model has been recognized as a Point of Light by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, and is being emulated by institutions trying to build a diverse faculty pool in other disciplines. This presentation focuses on principles underlying The PhD Project’s success and adaptable elements of The PhD Project model that can used to develop similar initiatives in other disciplines.