GSAS Students Learned About the Experiences of Faculty of Color at Liberal Arts Colleges

What is it like for faculty members from underrepresented groups to do research, teach, and live in a liberal arts college setting? Doctoral students had the opportunity on April 8, 2019, to find out at the GSAS event, “Mentoring for a More Diverse Professoriate,” which was hosted by the Office of Academic Diversity and Inclusion in partnership with Liberal Arts Diversity Officers and C3 (Creating Connections Consortium). Students met faculty and administrators from Holy Cross, Trinity, and Williams Colleges. Whether they were approaching the job market or just planning ahead, this event was an excellent opportunity to learn and mingle.

“Different types of institutions require different applications materials,” noted participant Brittany Fox-Williams, PhD Candidate in Sociology, who is going on the job market this fall. “So this event was a way to get insider knowledge not only about the liberal arts application process but also regarding what would be expected of me as a professor at a liberal arts college.”

Sessions included panel discussions on Teaching and Scholarship at Liberal Arts Colleges, and also on Creating Your Pathway Now for the Faculty Career in Your Future. During lunch, students and faculty broke up into groups by discipline, and students also had the chance to schedule individual meetings with faculty to discuss their job materials.

Columbia GSAS students and faculty from liberal arts colleges on April 8, 2019, at the C3-LADO event held at Columbia GSAS.