Recruitment, Retention, and Mentoring for Diversity Among Rehabilitation Counselor Educators

Purpose:In this article, the authors discuss best strategies for recruitment and retention among faculty of color, international faculty, and women to diversify rehabilitation counselor education faculty.Method:Based on a comprehensive literature review, we have provided the reader with a brief review of the status of faculty of color, international faculty, and women in academia, issues in recruitment and retention, and strategies that may be beneficial in diversifying rehabilitation counselor education faculty.Results:Researchers in higher education have shown that a diverse faculty is not only beneficial to academia, but to communities as well. The authors have provided recruitment and retention strategies that have been used in other disciplines. Coupled with a sincere commitment by university administrators, faculty, students, and communities, these strategies may be beneficial in increasing diversity among the faculty ranks in rehabilitation counselor education programs.Conclusion:In order to increase diversity in our training and education programs, it is imperative that recruitment and retention plans are created and implemented. Various recruitment and retention strategies were discussed in this article that have been shown to be effective in other disciplines. Future research should explore the presence and use of recruitment and retention plans in rehabilitation counselor education programs. In addition, qualitative research is warranted to explore the experiences of faculty of color, international faculty, and women.