Classroom diversity has tremendous benefits for student achievement, and higher-ed institutions are turning to diversity initiatives to help recruit and hire diverse candidates.
According to NCES data, 41 percent of all full-time faculty in 2017 were white males; 35 percent were white females; 6 percent were Asian/Pacific Islander males; 5 percent were Asian/Pacific Islander females; and 3 percent each were black males, black females, Hispanic males, and Hispanic females.
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Research also points to the many benefits that come from diversifying a majority-white teacher workforce and incorporating more minority teachers–namely, minority students benefit from seeing themselves represented in classroom leadership, and minority teachers who understand minority students’ cultural backgrounds tend to form more meaningful interpersonal connections with students.