What’s It Like for Them? A Phenomenological Inquiry Into the Lived Experiences of Pre-tenure, Racially/Ethnically Underrepresented Faculty at Minority Serving Institutions

Abstract

Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) have boasted our nation’s most diverse faculties for decades and yet, there is much we do not know about the experiences of these faculty. Departing from the assumption that diverse faculty encounter the same challenges and triumphs as diverse faculty at PWIs, this study sought to capture the voices and lived experiences of pre-tenure, racially/ethnically underrepresented faculty navigating the tenure and promotion process at MSIs. This phenomenological study relied on Critical Race Theory (CRT) as its theoretical framework to examine the pre-tenure experiences of 22 racially/ethnically underrepresented faculty members who worked at federally designated MSIs and were within the first five years of their faculty careers. Findings revealed that participants generally felt empowered by their alignment with their institution’s mission and values, experiencing a sense of purpose. Key to their experiences were their relationships with students, peers, senior faculty, and their families. Through these relationships, participants described finding sources of joy, motivation, and support, especially when navigating the heavy demands of the tenure and promotion process. While participants generally spoke highly of their experiences and the support they received from their respective MSIs, they also highlighted their challenges, including being overworked and finding work-life balance, unclear tenure and promotion policies, racial, gender, and age bias, and lack of financial resources and recognition.