Academic bullying and diversity: challenges and solutions

Area of Science:

• Higher Education
• Workplace Diversity
• Academic Professions

Background:

• The academic professoriate exhibits persistent racial disparities despite diversification efforts.
• Recruitment of faculty from underrepresented groups remains a significant challenge.
• Faculty retention strategies receive insufficient attention in higher education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the ongoing lack of diversity in the academic professoriate.
• To underscore the challenges in recruiting and retaining underrepresented faculty.
• To address the pervasive issue of workplace bullying in higher education.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on faculty diversity and retention.
• Analysis of the impact of workplace bullying in academic settings.
• Synthesis of proposed strategies for improving the academic work environment.

Main Results:

• Diversification efforts have not significantly altered the racial composition of the professoriate.
• Faculty retention is a critical, under-addressed issue.
• Workplace bullying is a pervasive problem, exacerbated by tenure protections.

Conclusions:

• Urgent adoption of proposed strategies is necessary to foster a more inclusive and equitable academic workplace.
• Addressing bullying and improving retention are key to achieving true diversity in higher education.
• Creating a better work environment requires proactive measures to support all faculty members.