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Generating Faculty of Color: Gaining Insights from a Working Intervention Dr. William T. Trent Professor Educational Policy Studies and Sociology University of Illinois The students felt that the mentor really did take an interest in them and their work. For many of these students, this was the first opportunity for them to have someone actually engage them in their intellectual arena where they were really working.

This presentation discussed on the Summer Research Opportunity program (SROP) as an example of an intervention that encourages students of color to develop an interest in pursuing graduate school with the intention of becoming a college or university faculty member. SROP gives talented students exposure to academia that they might not otherwise have. Dr. Trent described the program:

• It has hosted on average 500 undergraduate students at 15 campuses for the last 10 years.

• Students come from colleges and universities across the country.

• It is usually eight weeks long and provides mentoring, working on a research project, taking a course, preparation for taking the graduate record exam, discussions, and other activities.

• A larger percentage of the students are female and African American. Socioeconomic background and fields of study span a wide range.

Most of the presentation focused on the ways SROP benefits students, which include:

• Mentoring from a faculty member who got to know them and their work well

• Peer mentoring and sharing of experiences with people of similar backgrounds

• Introduction to new fields of research and new information

• Gaining a better understanding of their field and what doing research and being a faculty member involves

• Becoming role models for their peers at home

A large percentage of students who participate in SROP do go on to become faculty members. More of them tend to be males and science majors. Dr. Trent believes that if resources could be found to significantly expand this program, it could have an even greater impact on the numbers of students of color who become faculty members.

BIOGRAPHY

William T. Trent is Professor of Educational Policy Studies and Sociology and former Associate Chancellor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr, Trent is completing his final year as chair of the AERA Social Justice Action Committee and is currently a Visiting Scholar at the College Board. His most recent work, "Justice, Equality of Educational Opportunity and Inequality in Higher Education" appears in the AERA commissioned volume, Compelling Interest. Dr, Trent is currently principal investigator for a multi-year, IES (OERI) funded project examining pathways to careers in the academy for students of color.