KEEP IT CUTE OR THEY MIGHT JUST LEAVE: A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS ON BLACK WOMEN FACULTY’S SUCCESS STRATEGIES, COLLEGIALITY, AND PERSISTENCE

Abstract

The academy has accepted the entrance of Black women faculty for decades. And although research has posited the challenges they face and reasons why they leave either the professoriate or academia altogether, consistent efforts to retain and aid in their persistence has fallen short. Guided by Black Feminist Thought, Intersectionality Theory, and the College + University Teaching Environment Framework, the purpose of this study was to examine the success strategies, collegial support, and persistence of Black women faculty. Using data from the College + University Teaching Environment Survey, the sample included 128 Black women faculty from 19 institutions across the United States. Critical quantitative methodology was employed, and a series of statistical analyses was conducted. Findings revealed that health and wellness practices are the success strategy Black women faculty employ most often, and collegiality exists in the form of a good working relationship with department colleagues and senior leaders who are committed to diversity. Practical implications from this study point to a need for institutions to assess their practices and policies to better support Black women faculty.