Abstract: | The shortage of minority faculty presence on college and university campuses has been a matter of some concern in recent years. The purpose of this article to describe one college's initiative to address this issue. The West Virginia Graduate College's Minority Faculty Fellowship Program was designed to recruit minority doctoral students who are at the dissertation stage of their program. Appointed as non-tenure track faculty members, fellows are provided with experiences that will help them acclimate to the professoriate. This article describes the program, highlights the institutional benefits, outlines the program's strengths and weaknesses, and makes recommendations for those interested in developing similar programs.John S. Gooden, Ed.D. (University of Massachusetts at Amherst), is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling at Eastern Michigan University. He is a former West Virginia Graduate College Faculty Fellow. His areas of professional expertise include administrative certification, school violence, and educational technology. Paul A. Leary, Ed.D. (University of Massachusetts at Amherst), is a Professor in the Educational Leadership Department at West Virginia Graduate College. His areas of professional interest focus on educational governance, educational policy, and program evaluation. Ronald B. Childress, Ed.D. (The University of Tennessee at Knoxville), is a Professor in the Departments of Elementary Education, Secondary Education, and Educational Leadership at West Virginia Graduate College. His areas of professional expertise include curriculum planning, program evaluation, and program management. |