Haverford College has one of the most diverse faculties of any top-tier college or university—including many Ivy League schools—in the country, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education
In a special“Diversity in Academe” section included in the Sept. 28 issue, the Chronicle provided statistics for full-time faculty members at more than 1300 colleges and universities for 2005-2006. Results show that 23 percent of Haverford's faculty members are persons of color, tying with Sarah Lawrence and ranking just below Pomona (25 percent), Mount Holyoke and Emory (both 24 percent). Haverford outranks schools such as Harvard, Yale and Princeton, as well as almost all peer colleges.
A specific breakdown of these statistics also reveals that, among its peer liberal arts colleges, Haverford ranks highest for percentage of African-American faculty members with 9 percent. The College also ranked fourth among its peers for number of Asian/Pacific Islander professors (also 9 percent).
“Haverford is committed to diversity and to attracting the highest quality faculty,” says Provost Linda Bell,“and our success in both is critical to attracting the highest quality and most diverse students.”
“Haverford's relatively high degree of diversity among its teaching staff stems from years of hard work and planning and reflects a real determination by the College's presidents, provosts and faculty to insure that the education students receive here is marked by the highest standards of excellence, which in today's world clearly requires diversity of faculty backgrounds and interests,” says Greg Kannerstein, Dean of the College.“While encouraging, these statistics will not lead to Haverford's resting on its laurels in this regard. We continue to explore every avenue to make our faculty and curriculum responsive to today's challenges and the depth and breadth of the interests of our marvelous students.”
