CREATIVE USES OF TECHNOLOGY IN MENTORING AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT WITHIN SMALL GROUP DIVERSE FACULTY COHORT SUPPORT NETWORKS

The multiple impediments to Black/African American faculty success in predominantly White institutions of higher education (PWI's), in a racially charged twenty-first century United States of America have been documented. These impediments include lack of same race mentors and peer colleagues, lack of a community of peers who share similar research interests, the "chilly climate" of non-inclusive campus environments, lack of racial/cultural campus support networks. The problems encountered by Black faculty are the same across these institutions in which Black faculty, staff, administrators and often students are typically found in small numbers, within and across disciplines including especially in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) where the problem of the lack of mentors is particularly acute. STEM fields in particular, though all fields or disciplines in general, experience small numbers of Black doctoral conferrals, see fewer numbers of Black PhDs recipients being granted full-time faculty positions within the academy in PWIs. There are comparatively fewer Blacks in the higher education undergraduate and graduate pipelines and in turn professional pipeline. Furthermore, the pipeline "leaks" from point of entry into the profession to tenure and promotion through the faculty ranks. Black faculty remain concentrated in the lower ranks of he academic structure,and remain isolated within the academy.

Limited time and space for in-person meetings and the difficulty in meshing multiple individuals' schedules lead Black faculty to seek alternatives to traditional in-person research and writing circles for support. Creative uses of technology in promoting Black faculty success in the academy were utilized and found to be successful in small size faculty cohort support networks. The use of E portfolios, electronic blackboards and other online learning platforms were highly useful in mentoring faculty and in providing cohort members with a variety of types of professional support. Faculty members self selected and formed a cohort of support colleagues who utilized a combined online and in-person approach to share and gain feedback on their research and to provide other professional and personal support within the cohort. Members of the cohort network used technology as a vehicle for regularly updating and sharing professional accomplishments, achievements, and especially writings in progress. Portfolios, research writing drafts and research ideas were shared electronically within the network of both junior and senior faculty. Members received frequent, intermittent interactive feedback of varying kinds from fellows within the network in both real time and elapsed time. Electronic encounters were coupled with in-person face-to-face meetings to facilitate interpersonal group dynamics, build solidaristic bonds among members, and to maximize group productivity and effectiveness. Technology allows for the use of creative alternative models for individual and group self empowerment and the construction of professional social capital in mixed status, small group faculty cohorts.