Analyzing the Purposes and Mechanisms of Faculty Cluster Hiring Initiatives to Promote Racial Equity

Since the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling against race-conscious admissions, anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts have grown, creating challenges for leaders committed to advancing racial equity on their campuses. Using racialized change work as a lens, we analyze faculty cluster hiring as a potential strategy toward racial equity that could hold up in the current political climate. This study uses data from four historically white research universities, focusing on how leaders used faculty cluster hiring as a strategy to promote racial equity. Our findings reveal that cluster hire leaders leveraged racialized expertise as hiring capital, creating a “strategic side door” to diversify faculty demographics while sidestepping risks associated with affirmative-action-like approaches. Cluster hire leaders also leveraged faculty lines to challenge — or attempt to challenge — practices that sustain a racist status quo. However, this approach could also create additional racialized labor expectations on newly hired Faculty of Color. We offer recommendations for leaders to consider when designing and implementing cluster hiring initiatives to support racial equity effectively.