The Story Is Not in the Numbers: Academic Socialization and Diversifying the Faculty

This report is of a descriptive study that explored differences by gender and race/ethnicity on measures of teaching, research, and service productivity of 665 tenured engineering faculty members in 19 research-intensive institutions. Data from a self-report survey were analyzed using inferential and descriptive methods. Comparisons among productivity levels of white male faculty and those of white women, and of Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians, revealed little difference. Qualitative data on social experiences of the participants showed that women and faculty of color were more discouraged, less supported, and perceived the tenure process to be less fair, than their white male colleagues. I discuss implications of the findings for administrators and suggestions for diversifying the faculty.