Race is something which has defined us for centuries. There have been major issues surrounding race which go back hundreds of years ago. From lack of job opportunities to restrictions for certain buildings (restaurants, stores, etc), race and racial representation has always been limited. However, an initiative has been started by various schools and people in the area to hire more students of color. This will hopefully help expand the horizons for people of color.
Various studies throughout the years have demonstrated the benefit to people of color of being taught or educated by other people of color. All students benefit from having teachers of color, research shows. A report by the Learning Policy Institute revealed that when taught by teachers of color, students of color “have better academic performance, improved graduation rates, and are more likely to attend college.” Hiring more students/people of color causes a chain reaction, as the more people of color who are hired, the more students of color excel academically, the more they are likely to graduate, and the more they are likely to attend college. This in turn provides better opportunities to people of color.
Recently, Pennsylvania State University joined 53 other higher education institutions, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, California Polytechnic State University, Ohio State University and the University of Maryland, College Park, to participate in the initiative. Participation in the program includes the development of more inclusive hiring practices, as well as the development of pathways to STEM professorships for minorities, according to the APLU. “The initiative, called the National Alliance for Inclusive and Diverse STEM Faculty, aims to help institutions develop inclusive faculty recruitment, hiring and retention practices. Those practices will ultimately lead to educational opportunities for minority students, and increase their ability to pursue STEM careers, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, which leads the initiative, said in a press release.” As stated in the article, this program will help minorities to have more jobs in the STEM field, compared to having more jobs in the teaching field as stated earlier in this article.
Hiring more students of color has only positive consequences. As shown previously, when students of color are taught by teachers of color, they are more likely to be successful academically. When more students of color are hired, it will benefit that minority group. This initiative will greatly benefit society and other people of color in our community. As a person of color myself I would love to have a better chance academically and in terms of future careers.
https://edscoop.com/penn-state-joins-initiative-to-hire-more-diverse-stem-faculty/
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