Only 'students of color' are eligible for new USC and Compton College 'Faculty Prep Academy'
Compton College and the University of Southern California announced they will run a "Faculty Prep Academy" for "students of color."
Compton College and the University of Southern California announced they will run a “Faculty Prep Academy” that is for “students of color.”
An application for the program states that 30 “currently enrolled master’s and doctoral students of color” who attended any community college in California will be selected for the program, which is intended to prepare students to eventually become faculty members.
”We invite talented currently enrolled master’s and doctoral students of color across California who began their postsecondary start at a California Community College before transferring to four-year universities to apply for participation in our Compton College Faculty Prep Academy – an opportunity that prepares scholars to become faculty members within the system. Students pursuing graduate degrees in academic fields that are taught at Compton College will be targeted for this initiative,” the application states.
Students selected to participate in the program will have their travel, lodging, and meals covered, the application states.
According to the webpage, each participant will be matched with a community college faculty member who will be their coach.
Participants will also be required to attend seven virtual sessions focused on “preparing for community college faculty work from an equity perspective.”
Topics for the seven sessions include “Culturally Responsive Teaching,” “Affirming the Identities of Students of Color,” “Designing Equity-Focused Syllabi,” “Communicating Commitment to Racial Equity,” “Critical Self-Analysis of Educational Practices,” and “Navigating Faculty Politics and Resistance to Racial Equity+ Interviewing with Presidents.”
An application for the program also asks for individual race/ethnicity, pronouns, as well as gender identity, giving several options.
Adrián Trinidad, associate director for community college partnerships at USC, told the LAist that “What prompted this initiative was the recognition that there’s a lack of faculty of color.”
Campus Reform reached out to Compton College and USC for comment.
