Ethnic diversity figures among NIU faculty are on the rise, according to NIU human resources.

As of Dec. 31, minorities represented 17.4 percent of assistant, associate and full professors, also known as ranked faculty. This figure was up from 16.4 percent in 2002, 15.6 percent in 2001 and 14.5 percent in 2000.

Despite the rising trend, NIU numbers are still lower than statewide statistics, which show minority representation at about 20.9 percent, according to a 2002 study by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

Black representation at NIU is 3.9 percent, while the statewide average was 5.1 percent, the largest percentage-point gap within the categories.

DeKalb’s community presents a difficulty in changing the university’s ethnic trend, said Ivan Legg, executive vice president and provost.

“I came from Memphis, and we had no trouble recruiting African-American faculty because Memphis is almost 50 percent black,” Legg said. “When I came to DeKalb for an interview, I was overwhelmed by how white this area is.”

After arriving in DeKalb three years ago, Legg said, he set his sights on diversifying NIU’s faculty.

“Understanding each others’ backgrounds and cultures is very important to having a successful community experience. Having a diverse faculty adds to that educational mission,” he said.

“One of the most important issues that has an impact on diversifying the faculty is creating an environment in which a diverse faculty feels comfortable,” Legg said.

Creating such an environment requires stronger recruitment of minority faculty, sociology professor George Kourvetaris said.

“Association bulletins should be published and distributed more widely among graduate students across the country,” Kourvetaris said.

Kourvetaris said he agrees that the problem in the past has been that there was little community for black people in DeKalb.

Legg said it would help to try to recruit more professors from farther away.

“The recruiting process has to be proactive,” he said.

Of the new hires among ranked faculty in 2003, 26.4 percent were minorities, and 9.4 percent were black.

Legg emphasized the importance of keeping diversity in mind beyond simply new hiring.

“There are two things you have to deal with: recruitment and retention. One of the most important issues is making sure that once they’re here, they stay,” he said.

While 26.4 percent of the newly hired faculty are minorities, 17.4 percent of all ranked faculty are minorities.

“If they come to NIU, they don’t want to stay,” Kourvetaris said.

“If you create an environment in which a diverse faculty feels comfortable, they’re more likely to stay with you. That has an impact on your recruiting because the word gets around, and it becomes a welcome place of work to a diverse faculty,” Legg said.