The first Keeping Our Faculty of Color Symposium took place in 1998 on the University of Minnesota twin cities campus, the result of efforts by forward-thinking leaders at the University of Minnesota. All have gone on to advanced positions at other institutions but they are listed here with the titles they held at that time:
- Robert Jones, Vice President for Faculty and Academic Personnel
- Nancy “Rusty” Barcelo, Associate Vice President, Multicultural and Academic Affairs
- Caroline Sotello Turner, Associate Professor and Research Coordinator
These three saw the need to address the unique challenges being faced by faculty of color in higher education institutions across the country. After more than seventeen years, the Keeping Our Faculty Of Color Symposium is still the only national symposium focused on advancing faculty diversity in higher education.
Previous symposia have drawn scholars, policymakers, and administrators from over 60 institutions across the country. Original goals for the symposium were “to share practical experience and scholarly knowledge, then translate that information into programmatic and policy-making agendas”. There is still much work to do around these issues.
This Symposium has hosted many knowledgeable and distinguished speakers over its long history. Some of these include:
- Kimberly W. Crenshaw, J.D, L.L.M., University of California, Los Angeles and Columbia Law School, "Breaking Through and Staying In: The Future of Faculty of Color in Higher Education", 2013 Symposium
- Freeman Hrabrowski, III, Ph.D., University of Maryland, Baltimore, "Institutional Culture Change: Leadership and Inclusive Excellence", 2013 Symposium
- John Brooks Slaughter, President and CEO, National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, "The Dearth of Faculty of Color: Higher Education's Shame", 2007 Symposium
- A. James Hicks, Program Director, Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation Program, Directorate for Education & Human Resources, National Science Foundation, "Revitalizing the Nation's Talent Pool in STEM fields: The LSAMP Model", 2007 Symposium
Keeping Our Faculty VII was held on April 17-19, 2016 at the then called, Commons Hotel in Minneapolis.
2016 Keynote speakers included:
- Nancy Cantor, Chancellor Rutgers University, Newark
- Richard J. Reddick, Associate Professor and Coordinator, Department of Educational Administration, College of Education, Assistant Vice President for Research and Policy, University of Texas at Austin
- Alicia Dowd, Professor, Center for the Study of Higher Education
- Pennsylvania State University
- Susan Phillips, former Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, SUNY Downstate, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, University of Albany, SUNY University at Albany State University of New York
We also featured our symposium founders: Dr. Robert J. Jones, Dr. Nancy "Rusty" Barcelo, and Dr. Caroline Turner
Program and Abstract from 2016 Keeping OuUr Faculty VIII Symposium, as a pdf.
Program and Abstract from 2013 Keeping Our Faculty of Color VI Symposium, as a pdf.