First-Generation Faculty:

(Re)Examining the Experiences of Faculty of Color in Higher Education

Call for Papers REVISED DUE DATE
Editors
Mara C. Ledesma, Ph.D. Tracy Lachica Buenavista, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Educational Leadership Professor of Asian American Studies
& Policy College of Humanities
College of Education California State University, Northridge
University of Utah tracy.buenavista@csun.edu
maria.ledesma@utah.edu

Background
Higher education scholars have revealed a range of challenges faced by faculty of color. In particular,
faculty of color often experience social and political isolation, greater teaching and service obligations,
less support and financial resources, racial tokenization within the university, overt discrimination, and
overall, devaluation within various academic contexts (Baez, 2000; Delgado Bernal & Villalpando, 2002;
Turner, 2002). Research on faculty of color has also documented the ways in which faculty of color play
important roles in higher education, including demonstration of innovative classroom pedagogies; the
diversification of research agendas, methodologies, and perspectives; valuable mentorship for
underrepresented students; and enhanced relationships with communities beyond institutional boundaries
(Antonio, 2000; Turner, Gonzlez, & Wood, 2008). However, within this discourse, faculty of color are
often treated homogenously. Whereas scholars have advocated the need to examine how gender,
sexuality, and/or immigration status may complicate dominant faculty-of-color narratives (Turner,
Gonzlez, & Wood, 2008), the primary objective of this book project is to contribute to existing dialogues
concerned with increasing faculty diversity within higher education with regards to education
generational status. More specifically, this project highlights the experiences of first-generation faculty
of color, or those individuals who were first-generation college students who went on to pursue faculty
careers. Collectively, we argue that regardless of degree attainment, first-generation college student status
uniquely shapes the ways that faculty of color experience and navigate academia.

Over the course of the last few years, postsecondary pundits, policy makers, and practitioners, have
increasingly focused on the plight of first generation students aspiring towards postsecondary degree
attainment. Indeed, a Google news search on the term first generation students yielded two million
entries. Meanwhile, a similar search in Google Scholar yields close to four million entries. At the writing
of this prospectus, the College Board, as well as numerous institutions, including but not limited to the
University of California (UC), the University of Illinois, and the University of Texas (UT), have created
explicit student programming aimed at helping first-generation students successfully transition into and
acclimate into postsecondary settings. In some cases, campuses such as UC Irvine and UT San Antonio,
have also launched programming to pair first generation faculty mentors with first generation college
students.

As the national discussion around the status and condition of first generation students grows, we posit that
less attention has been focused on understanding and analyzing the experiences of faculty, who were once
themselves first generation students. In this volume, we propose to explore this under-addressed issue by
centering and analyzing the experiences of first generation faculty. The chapter contributors will
collectively examine how the confluence of pending faculty retirements coupled with the marginal but
 First-Generation Faculty:
(Re)Examining the Experiences of Faculty of Color in Higher Education
Call for Papers REVISED DUE DATE
steady growth of historically minoritized doctoral recipients seeking to enter academe, provides a timely
backdrop to understand how postsecondary institutions can better understand and work with faculty who
were once themselves first generation students.

We welcome submissions from practitioners and scholars of diverse methodological, theoretical

and disciplinary perspectives to present work that sheds light on the nuanced experiences of
first-generation faculty. Topics may include, but are not limited to:
General first-generation faculty narratives that describe experiences, challenges, and/or
contributions
Impact of first-generation status on faculty recruitment, retention, promotion, and tenure
The relationship between first-generation status and teaching
The relationship between first-generation status and mentoring
The relationship between first-generation status and research
Family and community responsibility practices among first-generation faculty
Institutional initiatives and programming related to best practices
Beyond complicating dominant faculty-of-color discourse through narratives that center
education generational status, we encourage authors to highlight the unique challenges and
contributions of first-generation faculty, and/or how institutions of higher education can better
support these scholars.

Submission Procedure
We welcome abstracts (500 words max) or full-length papers on or before October 30, 2017.
Abstracts should present a clear relationship to a theme or themes addressed in the call.
Please email all queries and submissions to firstgenfaculty@gmail.com

Instruction for Authors

1. Manuscripts should be original, unpublished, and not under review by any journal
or publisher.
2. Manuscripts should be approximately 5,000 words, excluding references.
3. References and in-text citations should be prepared according to APA 6th edition
referencing style.

Important Dates
October 30, 2017 Abstract (or Chapter) Submission Deadline
November 15, 2017 Notification of Acceptance
February 1, 2018 Full Chapter Submission
We expect this book to published in 2019. We are currently in discussions with university
presses who carry strong catalogues of education titles. We are happy to discuss this in more
detail with prospective authors.