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The Need for Mentorship in the Minority Professoriate

This perspective is a call to action for thementorship ofminority (Hispanic or Latino/Latina American, African American, Asian American, Native American) junior faculty members in the academy. Recent papers describing the need for representation of diversity in higher education circles are reviewed, noting in particular that the newest members of the professoriate will require concerted support if they are to take their place among senior colleagues. Specific recommendations emerge that underscore the need for a consolidated collaborative initiative in this direction. It is my contention that minority mentoring must be a priority initiative of the academy. If not, there will be a dearth of qualified individuals in the ranks of mature senior faculty and, likely, corresponding trickle-down effects with the potential to undermine the entire educational system. There is growing attention to minority representation in higher education circles, particularly in the fields of medicine, science, mathematics, engineering, and education (Bruner, 1999; Fields, 1996; Roach, 1999). The academy must follow suit if it is to effectively respond to the full scope of challenges inherent in the diversity movement. This is particularly true in the current climate of a diminished number of Ph.D.s in all areas, let alone the issues of few minority faculties. Articles are consistently appearing in academic journals that call for intercultural consideration within curricula (Darling-Hammond, 1996; Fields, 1996; Gay, 1993; Talbert-Johnson & Tillman, 1999). However, from the standpoint of minority faculty members, there appear to be underlying issues that impinge on this process that must be more fully articulated and acted on (Carozza, 2000).