How diverse is the faculty at Syracuse University?

That lack of diversity, part of a larger national problem, may change thanks to a $2.5 million grant awarded to three Central New York universities and one Puerto Rican university by the National Science Foundation.

The CNY-PR Alliance project, involving SU, Cornell University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the University of Puerto Rico – Mayaguez will encourage minority students to pursue doctorate degrees in science, mathematics, and engineering, said Howard Johnson, dean of the Graduate School. The hope is that doctorate students will then join the professoriate at universities, he added.

“Diversity is essential to prepare students to work in a multiculture workforce,” Johnson said.

Chancellor Jorge I. Velez-Arocho, of the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, said the need for diversity is evident because of the low number of doctorates awarded to minority students. He added the merging of the four different institutions resulted from a combined vision and shared commitment.

“This alliance will become a true national model,” Velez-Arocho said.

Howard stated while minorities make up 30 percent of the population, they only comprise approximately 18 percent of the professors in the country. This problem extends to the doctorate degree level where blacks and Hispanics, who make up 25 percent of the population, only earn approximately six percent of all doctorate degrees in math, science, and engineering awarded, he added.

Stacey Lane Tice, assistant dean of the graduate school at SU, said the program is a great opportunity to prepare minority students for future faculty positions.

“This process is a wonderful opportunity to admit students and insure they will be successful in graduate programs,” Tice said.

The program will work to promote mentoring, give students the opportunity to earn a certificate of university teaching and allow students to work with faculty to create an interdisciplinary form of learning, she added.

Howard said the CNY-PR Alliance will allow innovative guidelines for admissions and will aggressively recruit and retain excellent minority graduate students.

“Aggressive recruitment plan will look at historically black and Hispanic universities and colleges,” Howard said. “We just really want to get the word out there.”

The $2.5 million will help cover some of the costs, but there will have to be some cost sharing from the institutions for financial aid to help the graduate students with the costs of attending school, he said.

Chancellor Kenneth A. Shaw said the universities have recognized the lack of diversity and are collaborating to make a dent in that problem.

“It is no surprise our nation needs more scientists, mathematicians and engineers to compete in the world economy,” Shaw said. ”We need people to teach them.”

Published on November 6, 2002 at 12:00 pm