Harvard University has released an annual report on the status of women and minorities who are tenured and tenure-track faculty. This year, the percentages of both groups is at an all-time high; 60 percent of tenure-track and 41-percent of tenured faculty are women and/or minorities.
“Increasing the diversity of the faculty continues to be a major priority for Harvard’s leadership,” said Judith Singer, James Bryant Conant Professor of Education and senior vice provost for Faculty Development and Diversity. “The reality is, diversifying the faculty is slow, steady work, one search or one review at a time. But I am pleased with our truly measurable, positive progress over the past 15 years, which is a testament to the University’s commitment to providing the necessary resources to recruit and retain an increasingly diverse faculty. In short, this is not your father’s Harvard.”
Since 2004, the percentage of tenured faculty who are women and/or minorities is up 49 percent. Tenured-track appointments are up 14 percent for women, which is particularly striking since the overall number of tenure-track faculty has decreased by 18 percent over the same time period.
Additionally, the percentage of women and/or minorities in tenure-track appointments in the sciences in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences has increased from 47 percent to 58 percent since 2004. In the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 52 percent of tenure-track faculty are women and/or minorities, up from 35 percent in 2004.
“The commitment from the Schools, and their deans and faculty members, has been central to our success,” said Singer. “The Schools hire faculty, and they share our goal of creating a more diverse Harvard.”