Do You Really Want Us?: Examining the Recruitment and Hiring of Faculty of Color at James Madison University College of Education

Abstract

Leadership in James Madison University College of Education (JMUCOE) and the Ole School Alumni Group feel that the college does not have as many faculty members of color as they would like. The root cause of this problem is the prevalence of white hegemony and the role it plays in both the culture and administrative decision making of the institution. To understand this dichotomy, I examined the policies, programs, and practices JMUCOE leadership had implemented throughout its history that have been grounded in white hegemony. To examine the everyday effects of white hegemony within this campus I used a critical pragmatic lens (Glaude, 2007; Stengel, 2007; Townes, 2015) and used Critical Race Theory (CRT) specifically the tenet of counter-storytelling to address the ramifications that race has had and continues to have in decision making amongst the leadership in the college. In conducting this qualitative study, several findings emerged in response to my research questions. Once I identified these findings, I developed recommendations that would increase the number of faculty of color as well as address and reconstruct policies, programs, and practices that are grounded in white hegemony at the college.