Chapter 4: Best Practice Highlights—Retaining Diverse Faculty

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Comprehensive strategies to support and retain diverse faculty are key to the success of the department and college. Retention programs focus on mentoring, professional development and recognition and reward systems. Promotion and tenure policies also play a major role in the retention of all faculty, and attention must be paid to ensuring that historically underrepresented and marginalized (HURM) faculty are given the guidance, resources and support needed to meet these requirements.

Additionally, a climate of inclusiveness which respects, values and does not suppress differences is integral to fostering faculty retention. This chapter includes recommendations and best practices for promoting the retention of diverse faculty.

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Use the links to navigate to topics of interest and/or download the ADEA Faculty Diversity Toolkit PDF.
Read the “Chapter Key Points” section for key summaries of the chapter.

Chapter 4 Sections

Chapter Key Points

Best Practice—Mentoring and Professional Development

Both formal and informal faculty mentoring programs can be effective in promoting the retention of HURM groups.

► Figure 7. Benefits of Mentoring for Mentee

ADEA Presidential Commission on Mentoring: Benefits of Mentoring for Mentee*

Supports personal growth and development
Provides encouragement, direction and promotion
Increases job satisfaction and retention rates by 15 to 30%
Increases promotion rates
Increases confidence in professional development abilities, roles as researchers and educators, and administrative knowledge
Supports socialization into the profession through networking
Increases insight into the institution and institutional politics
Provides an opportunity to clarify goals, values and choices—both personally and professionally
Provides an opportunity to obtain new skills and strengthen existing skills
Provides an opportunity to learn from the insights and expertise of a more experienced guide

*Sources: Friedman PK, Arena C, Atchison K et al. Report of the ADEA President’s Commission on Mentoring. J of Dental Educ. March 2004;68(3):390-396; University of California, San Diego National Center of Leadership in Academic Medicine. Program statistics in support of NCLAM. nclam.ucsd.edu/success.cfm. Accessed: December 20, 2003.

► Figure 8. Benefits of Mentoring for Mentor

ADEA Presidential Commission on Mentoring: Benefits of Mentoring for Mentor**

Increases personal satisfaction
Provides an opportunity for intellectual engagement and stimulation
Provides an opportunity to stay abreast of new knowledge and techniques
Provides an opportunity to “give back” by sharing expertise and knowledge
Increases ability to attract collaborators for current and future projects
Provides an opportunity to “create a legacy” by helping to prepare the next generation

**Sources: Friedman PK, Arena C, Atchison K et al. Report of the ADEA President’s Commission on Mentoring. J of Dental Educ. March 2004;68(3):390-396; University of California, San Diego National Center of Leadership in Academic Medicine. Program statistics in support of NCLAM.nclam.ucsd.edu/success.cfm. Accessed: December 20, 2003.

► Figure 9. Benefits of Mentoring for Academic Institution

ADEA Presidential Commission on Mentoring: Benefits of Mentoring for Academic Institution***

Fosters an institution-wide culture of mentoring and learning
Supports efforts to recruit new faculty
Increases job satisfaction and reduces turnover of current faculty
Increases promotion rate
Increases confidence of faculty
Increases morale
Increases commitment from both the mentor and mentee
Increases insight into the thinking of students and faculty through creation of a feedback loop
Improves skills and abilities of faculty
Develops future leaders for the institution
Transfers institutional knowledge and experience from mentor to mentee
Supports succession planning efforts
Creates a sense of connection between new faculty and the institution

***Source: Friedman PK, Arena C, Atchison K et al. Report of the ADEA President’s Commission on Mentoring. J of Dental Educ. March 2004;68(3):390-396.

► Figure 10. Mentoring Program Pitfalls to Avoid

ADEA Presidential Commission on Mentoring: Mentoring Program Pitfalls to Avoid****

Mismatch between the mentor and mentee (no chemistry or bad chemistry between the two)
Unrealistic expectations/unclear goals for the relationship
Time constraints or time demands (spending too much or too little time)
Breaches of confidentiality and trust
Abuse of power in the relationship
Overdependency
Charges of favoritism (real or perceived)
Cultural barriers
Competition between the mentor and mentee
Conflict between the mentor and the mentee’s supervisor
Sexual harassment

****Sources: Friedman PK, Arena C, Atchison K et al. Report of the ADEA President’s Commission on Mentoring. J of Dental Educ. March 2004;68(3):390-396 citing Eby LT, Allen TD. Further investigation of protégés’ negative mentoring experiences: patterns and outcomes. Group and Organizational Management. 2002;27(4):456-479.

► Leadership and Professional Development Programs to Support HURM Faculty

Support programs that offer leadership and professional development opportunities for historically underrepresented and marginalized (HURM) faculty to enhance their teaching, clinical, research and leadership skills. These programs include sabbaticals, mentoring programs, fellowships and leadership development to advance the faculty careers.

Some examples are in the table below:

ADEA Leadership and Professional Development Opportunities

Other Professional Development Opportunities, Conferences, Seminars, Awards and Fellowships

Best Practice—Promotion and Tenure

Promotion and tenure policies and practices should be discernibly clear and department heads and mentors should meet regularly to provide guidance to junior faculty to promote an equitable process.

Best Practice—Inclusive Climate

Fostering and supporting an inclusive climate requires ongoing assessment, training, strategic planning and dedicated resources. Include goals that foster diversity and inclusion in college, departmental and allied dental program strategic plans.

Ensure that there are a wide variety of award systems that honor faculty for their different contributions to not only academic dentistry and oral health, but also to their community engagement, work with students and service to the institution.

Some strategies for countering implicit bias include:

Develop concrete, objective indicators and outcomes for hiring, evaluation and promotion to reduce standard stereotypes.
Develop standardized criteria to assess the impact of individual contributions in performance evaluations.
Develop and utilize structured interviews and develop objective evaluation criteria for hiring.
Fund and support diversity programs that foster well-being and inclusion for faculty, staff, students, residents and fellows.
Provide unconscious bias training workshops for all constituents.
Develop a culturally-infused curriculum with courses and modules related to how implicit basis impacts patient care, reducing health disparities and providing culturally competent patient care.

Additional Reading

Sinkford JC and Valachovic RW. Growing Our Own: Mentoring in the Dental Academic Pipeline. J of Dental Educ. August 2019;83(8): 981-987.
Al-Jewair T, Herbert AK, Leggitt VL et al. Evaluation of Faculty Mentoring Practices in Seven U.S. Dental Schools. J of Dental Educ. December 2019;83(12):1392-1401.
Mack D, Watson ED, and Camacho MM, eds. Mentoring Faculty of Color: Essays on Professional Development and Advancement in Colleges and Universities. 2013. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, Inc.
Gadbury-Amyot C, Pyle MA, Van Ness CJ, Overman PR, and West KP. Which Way to Lean? A National Study of Women Dental Faculty Members’ Career Aspirations and Choices. J of Dental Educ. December 2016;80(12):1392-1403.
University of Pennsylvania. Mentoring Guidelines for Junior Faculty. Almanac. 2006;52(34). Accessed January 4, 2020.
Henry, F. (2012). Indigenous Faculty at Canadian Universities: Their Stories. Canadian. Ethnic Studies. 2012; 44(1): 101-132.
Lisnic R, Zajicek A, and Morimoto S. Gender and Race Differences in Faculty Assessment of Tenure Clarity: The Influence of Departmental Relationships and Practices. Sociology of Race and Ethnicity. 2019;5(2):244–260.
Moody, J. Faculty Diversity: Removing the Barriers. (2nd ed). New York: Routledge, 2012.
Orlov JM and Allen KR. Being Who I Am: Effective Teaching, Learning, Student Support, and Societal Change Through LGBQ Faculty Freedom, Journal of Homosexuality. 2014;61(7):1025-1052.
Crenshaw K. Mapping the margins: intersectionality, identity politics and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review. 1991;43:1241–1299.
Chung LC and Rendon LI. Educating for wholeness in the intersections. Diversity and Democracy. Washington, DC: AACU. Winter 2018;21(1):8-12.
Özbilgin MF, Beauregard AT, Tatli A, and Bell MP. Work–Life, Diversity and Intersectionality: A Critical Review and Research. International Journal of Management Reviews. 2011;13:177–198.
Choi J. Work and family demands and life stress among Chinese employees: The mediating effect of work– family conflict. International Journal of Human Resource Management. 2008;19:878–895.
Formicola AJ, Klyvert M, McIntosh J, Thompson A, Davis M, Cangialosi T. Creating an Environment for Diversity in Dental Schools: One School’s Approach. J Dental Educ. May 2003;67(5):491-499.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Taking Action Against Clinician Burnout: A Systems Approach to Professional Well-Being. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2019.
Stewart AJ and Valian V. An Inclusive Academy: Achieving Diversity and Excellence. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2018.
Garvey JC and Rankin S. The influence of campus climate and urbanization on queer-spectrum and trans-spectrum faculty intent to leave. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. 2018;11(1):67–81.