Date of Award

5-2-2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Jim Vander Putten

Abstract

The purpose of this research study was to examine how the concept of departure influences the lack of diversity among higher education faculty. More specifically, what factors are currently influencing Black women faculty’s decisions to depart academic positions across two institution types, Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). A phenomenological method of inquiry supported the research and included two research questions. The primary research question asked what influences impacted the decision to depart for each faculty member. A secondary question examined the similarities and differences of these influences for departure decisions from the PWIs and HBCUs each participant was formerly employed by. The purposive sample for the study included eight Black women faculty members who had departed faculty positions within five years of the start of the research study. The conceptual framework for this study included three types of variables: internal, external and organizational. Each of these variables were chosen because of previous research’s indication of their influence on the departure of higher education faculty. Influences for departure for the included participants included the work environment, including racialized experiences and unmet expectations of the work environment, and the use of their individualized personal agency. Each woman’s experience was unique and allowed for an extension of the research surrounding the experiences of Black women faculty and a continued need for more inclusive campus environments.

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