Project Ups Minorities In Business School Admin.

MONTVALE, N.J.--The PhD Project, which has led the way in the more than tripling of minority business school professors since 1994, announces the start of a new initiative to increase diversity at the next level- business school administration.

Project AHEAD (Achieving Higher Education Administration Diversity) will provide information, encouragement and support for African American, Hispanic American, and Native American business school professors who wish to advance to the positions of Department Chair, Associate Dean, Dean and other leadership roles. Minorities are severely underrepresented in these positions. Fewer than 20 dean positions at majority-serving university business schools are held by African Americans, Hispanic Americans, or Native Americans. Even at minority serving university business schools, fewer than 25 are deans at HBCUs or Hispanic Serving Institutions. In total about 3% of university business school deans positions are held by African Americans, Hispanic Americans, or Native Americans.

Project AHEAD will hold informational programs, starting with a November 5th, invitation-only webinar for aspiring administrators, created in collaboration with AACSB International. That will be followed by group and one-on-one mentoring, support and networking opportunities for PhD Project-participating minority faculty. Minority and majority deans, department chairs and other administrators affiliated with The PhD Project will provide services on a voluntary basis.

“Since The PhD Project began in 1994, the number of minority business school professors has more than tripled, from 294 to over 1,050 today,” said Bernard J. Milano, Founder of The PhD Project and President of the KPMG Foundation, the Project’s creator and lead supporter. “Looking at the current state of diversity in administrative positions, the next logical step is to create diversity in these roles.”

Mr. Milano also noted, “Many minority business professors are well qualified to be business school administrators because they typically come to academia from successful corporate careers.”

The PhD Project Deans Advisory Board will support and participate in the initiative. Its members - Quiester Craig, North Carolina A&T University; John Elliott, Baruch College , City University of New York; Andrew Policano, University of California, Irvine; and Melvin Stith, Syracuse University - have seen through The PhD Project how a minority professor can make a significant impact in the classroom. Dean Craig, speaking for the group, noted: “That influence increases dramatically as one moves up the ladder to administrative positions.”

The PhD Project addresses the severe under-representation of African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans and Native Americans in management positions. By diversifying the faculty, The PhD Project 1) encourages more minorities to pursue business degrees, and 2) better prepares all business students for today’s multicultural work environment.