These data show the number of full-time faculty members who are members of specific racial and ethnic groups at more than 4,200 degree-granting colleges and universities for the fall of 2009.
The figures cover four- and two-year institutions in the 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Choose a table to explore the data:
The data are from a Chronicle analysis of figures from the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Universities are required to report these data for the fall of odd-numbered years.
“Total minority” is the percentage of all faculty members who are American Indian, Asian, black, or Hispanic.
Where available, this database shows a new category collected by the Education Department in the fall of 2009, “Two or more races.” The department encouraged, but did not require, colleges to report data in this category for that year; however, all colleges reporting data on faculty members’ race and ethnicity will be required to report figures for “Two or more races” when the next mandatory survey is conducted this fall.
The full titles of the racial and ethnic categories are: white non-Hispanic; black or African-American non-Hispanic; Hispanic or Latino; Asian/Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander; American Indian or Alaska Native; and race/ethnicity unknown. Those six categories include both U.S. citizens and resident aliens. “Foreign” covers people described by the Education Department as “Nonresident aliens": those of all racial and ethnic groups who are in the United States on a visa or temporary basis and do not have the right to remain indefinitely. A person may be counted in only one of these groups.
Some colleges reported a large number of their faculty members in the “Race/ethnicity unknown” column. In those cases, all of the other figures should be interpreted with caution. However, some studies indicate that many people reported in that column are white but chose not to identify their race. If that is true, the percentages shown for racial minorities would tend to be accurate.
All of the full-time faculty members shown in these figures were described by their colleges as having “faculty status.” These figures exclude additional full-time employees designated as “without faculty status” although they engaged primarily in instruction, research, public service, or all three. The Education Department has not given colleges directions about whom to count as with or without faculty status, leaving it up to the colleges themselves. For example, some universities designate postdoctoral researchers as without faculty status.
Questions? Contact us at data@chronicle.com .