ABSTRACT
Academia continues to be the largest employer of Latinos and Latinas who hold doctoral degrees. Yet, the tenure rate for Latina/o full-time undergraduate faculty from 1989 to 1996 declined nearly 19%, the largest decline among all the underrepresented populations surveyed in higher education (Carter & Wilson, 1997, p. 35). For Latino males the tenure rate is about 44%, but for Latinas the rate is even lower, not quite 38% in 1996 (Carter & Wilson, 1997). This decline finally began to reverse itself in 1997 (Harvey, 2001). Even so, these statistics, coupled with a tight job market and fewer faculty retirements than expected during the 1990s (Bowen & Rudenstein, 1992), give more than a little credence to the impression that academia has ignored Latinos. It is crucial to understand the current circumstances before we develop solutions.
