ABSTRACT
Special attention is paid to issues that are unique to persons of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This attention is necessary because American institutions of higher education continue to face a paucity of under-represented groups among their faculty ranks in STEM disciplines. Tenure-track faculty responsibilities revolve around three areas: teaching, research, and service. However, graduate programs do not, in general, make any deliberate effort to prepare their students for academic careers. The concept of service in academia with its three components is also not addressed in graduate school. Doctorate-granting universities expect their tenure-track faculty to be research focused, and teaching generally comes second. In contrast, teaching remains the primary focus of tenure-track faculty in master's colleges and universities and baccalaureate colleges, although there is also an expectation for them to engage in research/creative activities, albeit to different degrees from institution to institution.
