Higher Education: Exploring the Challenges of African-Born Academics

Research Goal

Examined different adjustment challenges experienced by African-born faculty members in higher education in the United States.

Research Focus

• Examined the commonalities underlying the experiences of ethnic and racial minority faculty members at various higher institutions of learning in the United States. Specifically, the focus is on African- born academics.

Methodolgy

Used critical race theory as a framework and in-depth interviews of a purposive sample of nine
African-born academics selected from across the U.S.

• Phase 1: Sample size (n= 9)
• Phase 2: 2 months- Set up and conduct in-depth interviews
• Phase 3: 1 month categorization, data analysis and reporting

Findings

• African-born academics in U.S. higher education face challenges in communication, differences in academic systems, and culture, especially in the power distance between students and instructors.

Significance

• The study offers recommendations for aspiring diaspora and African-born faculties and the policymakers in U.S. universities and colleges that hire these professionals.
• This study fills a huge gap in the literature and speaks to the issue of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity.

Next Step

• More indepth interviews mixed with ethnography in the spaces of these professionals.

Keywords

African academics, minority faculty, blacks, higher education.