Ethnic diversity a no-show in OCC faculty

Humberto Caspa

Ethnic diversity has been a major issue at Orange Coast College for

the last two decades, particularly after seeing a major demographic

shift in nearby cities. Thus, school officials laid out programs

focusing on increasing minority enrollment to mirror the population

growth and to offset criticism from the media and community leaders.

However, they forgot that diversity goes beyond the student body; it

also encompasses the faculty and the administrative staff.

According to 2003-04 data gathered by the Office of Institutional

Research at OCC, for the first time, ethnic minorities surpassed

white students numerically. Asians make up 26% of the student

population today. That is an increase of 9.1% since 1991, when the

ethnic composition looked more like the affluent-suburban areas than

the larger population in Orange County. Likewise, Latinos comprised

10% in 1991 and went up to 16% in 2003. African-Americans remained

relatively constant at about 2%, and whites dropped from 67% to 49%.

The outcome in the student body is, of course, a major

accomplishment, and one school officials deserve all the credit for.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about full-time and part-time

professors.

Unlike the students, the faculty has made little, if any, strides

toward establishing ethnically-diverse environments. The same

statistical office at OCC has found that changes in the faculty are

slim or nonexistent, and in some areas recruitment for minority

professors went backward. Asian professors in 2003 accounted for only

5% of the total population. That is an increase of 1.6% since 1994, when they held just eight of the 236 full-time positions. Similarly,

Latinos grew from 3.6% in 1994 to 8% in 2003. African-Americans

stayed relatively the same and whites kept up at over 85%.

The status of part-time faculty is also worrisome, especially for

Latinoprofessors. Only 5% of part-time teaching jobs are assigned to

Latinos today.

In a tight labor market flooded with candidates holding doctoral

degrees from every major university, experience can be a determining

factor to appoint future tenured professors. Given the conditions at

OCC, minority candidates have a small chance of success.

Finally, it appears that the problem at OCC is deeply embedded

within the recruiting system. Otherwise, we cannot explain why, in a

period of 15 years, only a handful of minority professors were hired.

Diversity deserves a chance. School officials must recognize the

problem and work on it constructively.

* HUMBERTO CASPA is a resident of Costa Mesa.