Exemplary Efforts in Psychology to Recruit and Retain Graduate Students of Color

• Published in: The American psychologist 2006-02, Vol.61 (2), p.143-156
• Main Authors: Rogers, Margaret R, Molina, Ludwin E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; College Environment; College Faculty; Community; Decision Making; Demonstration Programs; Departments; Disproportionate Representation; Diversity; Diversity (Faculty); Education; Education, Graduate - statistics & numerical data; Education, Graduate - trends; Educational Administration; Educational Strategies; Ethnicity; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Graduate Psychology Education; Graduate Students; Graduate studies; Graduate Study; Graduates; Higher education; Human; Humans; Institutions; Male; Minorities; Minority & ethnic groups; Minority Groups; Multiculturalism & pluralism; Personnel Selection - trends; Postgraduate students; Psychology; Psychology - education; Psychology - manpower; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Recruitment; School Enrollment; School Holding Power; School Retention; Social representations; Strategic planning; Strategies; Student Diversity; Student Recruitment; Students - statistics & numerical data; Trends; United States - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0003-066X; 1935-990X
• DOI: 10.1037/0003-066X.61.2.143

Many psychology departments are striving for a greater representation of students of color within their graduate preparation programs with the aim of producing a more diverse pool of psychological service providers, scientists, and educators. To help improve the minority pipeline in psychology, the authors identify and describe recruitment and retention strategies used at 11 departments and programs considered to be making exemplary efforts to attract and retain minority students of color. The strategies most consistently used included engaging current minority faculty and students in recruitment activities, offering attractive financial aid packages, having faculty members make personal contacts with prospective students, creating linkages with historical institutions of color, having (or approached having) a critical mass of faculty and students of color, offering a diversity issues course, and engaging students in diversity issues research. Despite the similarities, the programs and departments were each distinctive and innovative in their overall approaches to student recruitment and retention. Highlighting the strategies used at successful institutions may help others develop plans for improving the minority pipeline within their own departments and programs.