On Faculty Diversity, Johns Hopkins University Puts Its Money Where Its Mouth Is

Many colleges and universities pay lip service to the view that they want to increase the racial diversity of their faculties. But very few actually take concrete steps to make it happen.

Recently Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore announced the Mosaic Initiative, a five-year program that would allocate $1 million each year in matching funds from the administration for deans, department chairs, and search committees to use to attract black and other minority faculty members. The initiative is under the direction of Ray Gillian, vice provost for institutional equity.

Departments at Johns Hopkins can ask the university administration for funds for salary, research, and laboratory equipment and supplies. There are also funds available to invite eligible minority faculty and graduate students to come to Johns Hopkins to present their research or to participate in career development workshops.

Eight minority faculty members were hired with Mosaic Initiative funds over the past year. The university hopes that over the five years of the program 30 or more new minority faculty will be hired.

Copyright © 2009. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.