Pursuing Racial Diversity in IFMA Accredited Degree Programs

Pursuing Racial Diversity in IFMA Accredited Degree Programs

Ronald Lumpkin1 and Andrew Chin2

Abstract

This study seeks to identify strategies to increase racial diversity in the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Accredited Degree Programs (ADPs). An action research design was utilized to reflect on the authors’ combined 40 years of experience in coordinating recruitment and retention efforts at the university level. Effective strategies are presented supported by literature that could attract Blacks and other minorities into IFMA ADPs. The American College Testing (ACT) found that only 54% of 2012/2013 high school graduates took qualifying exams. This limits the eligible pool of qualified candidates into facility management degree programs, especially minorities. If racial and gender diversity is an institutional objective, clever strategies are necessary to attract minorities into colleges and universities. This study addresses the following questions: a) What is the institution’s mission in relation to diversity? b) What targeted outreach strategies work? c) Can race-base admission be overcome? d) What is an appropriate message to potential recruits? Strategies to increase racial diversity in IFMA ADPs include recruiting high school graduates from the desired representative student demographic, organize and/or attend career fairs and/or college tours, summer camps, statewide high school scholars, community colleges, and university change of majors.

Keywords: African American, diversity, facility management, recruitment

Introduction

According to IFMA’s Profiles 2011 Salary and Demographic Report, the average facility manager is male and 49 years old. They are also, more than likely White. Diversification of the facility management profession is essential to benefit in the new global multi-cultural economy. To be competitive in the new global multi-cultural economy, the facility management profession needs to diversify its members. There is an opportunity to increase the productivity and value of the facility management profession by actively recruiting females and minorities in college or university IFMA ADPs. Identifying strategies that increase racial diversity in IFMA ADPs should translate to an increase in the numbers of minorities in the profession.

An action research design was utilized to answer the research questions and formulate strategies to improve racial diversity in IFMA ADPs. Specific components of the Practical Action Research Design (Creswell, 2008) are a) the educator/administrator-as-researcher; b) studying local practices; c) involved individual inquiry; d) focused on educator/administrator development and enhanced academic success for facility management students; e) and implemented a plan of action.

"Diversity is about learning from others who are not the same, about dignity and respect for all, and about creating environments and practices that maximize individual and organization performance" (Kikenny 2013, para 1). In the US, equal employment opportunity laws mandate the fair and impartial treatment of employees. The agency responsible for workplace diversity oversight is the US Department of Labor Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. Laws regulating hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits are enforced by the EEOC (US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2014). Diversity in the traditional sense includes a concern for gender, race, or religion and an atmosphere that fosters cooperation and communication in the workplace.

Two prominent organizations that attest to the importance of racial diversity in the work place are IFMA Silicon Valley Chapter and the US Department of Interior. IFMA Silicon Valley chapter suggested to improve the lives and livelihoods of the next generation of facility managers, strategies must be developed to increase diversity and exposure to the growing and thriving world of facilities. A workforce increases its productivity when persons of diverse skills, perspectives, ideas, and backgrounds are included and welcomed (US Department of Interior, 2011).

Foma (2014) reported the positive aspects workplace diversity include a rich contribution of ideas because of the cultures of employees, development of friendships and teamwork void of discrimination, cultural sensitivity and tolerance, absence of stereotyping, reduced recidivism of employees, and increased productivity due to healthy competition. Through a meta-analysis of workplace diversity articles published in nine leading journals in the field of management between 2000 and 2009, McMahon (2010), found that there was a positive relationship between racial diversity and firm performance especially in organizations that pursued growth and expansion. In addition, the effect of racial diversity was more pronounced in service sectors like facility management than in manufacturing industries.

The Numbers

As earlier stated, IFMA’s Profiles 2011 Salary and Demographic Report concluded the average facility manger is male, 49 years old and more than likely White. Considering the national average retirement age of 62 as published by (Gallup, 2014), increasing the number and racial diversity of students in IFMA ADPs will help guarantee the longevity and health of the profession. This aging core of facility managers will need to be replaced the next decade. Now is the ideal time for IFMA ADPs to recruit, enroll, and graduate a talented and diverse group of students for the next generation of facility managers. The US Department of Interior noted that a talented and diverse workforce is indispensible in the new multi-cultural global economy.

An examination of the numbers of Blacks eligible for college as determined by the ACT is alarming. Table 1 shows the projected numbers of graduates from public US high schools by race. The US public high school graduation numbers of every ethnic group increases steadily to 2022 except for Blacks. As can be seen, the numbers of Black public high school graduates in the US are projected to continually decrease from the 2017/2018 school year. Intervention strategies are warranted.

Table 1. Projected Numbers for Public High School Graduates, by Race/ethnicity

Note. Data prepared January 2012 by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

Table 2. Projected Number of Students Taking ACT (54% in Table 1)

Note. Data based on American College Testing (ACT) college ready percentages of the projected enrollment by race in Table 1.

ACT found that only 54% of high school graduates took standardized tests. This reduces the number of qualified applicants from public high schools into colleges and universities significantly. Table 2 shows the numbers (adjusted by 54%) by race of US public high school graduates by year that has taken college entrance exams; an important step in becoming “college-ready”.

The ACT testing agency analyzed 2013 test results by race. An analysis of four subject areas of reading, math, English and science skills revealed that 5% of Black, 10% of American Indians, 14% of Hispanics, 19% of Pacific Islanders 33% of White, and 43% of Asian-American students are ready for college work in all four areas (Post Staff Report, 2013). These are “college-ready” high school graduates. Table 3 shows the numbers of college-ready high school graduates by race. For example, in the 2013-2014 school year, 250,328 Blacks took a college entrance exam, of those 5% earned a passing score, hence 12,516 were college eligible.

As can be seen in Table 3 for the 2014/15 school year, 312,910 White; 45,704 Hispanic; and 42,748 Asian/Pacific Islander; 12,653 Blacks; and 1,623 American Indian/Alaska natives graduating public high school seniors will be eligible for college enrollment. As a frame of reference, there are 121 National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) accredited architecture programs in the US. The five NAAB accredited programs at Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) enroll 34% of Black architecture majors in the US (Williams, Chin, & Lumpkin, 2014).

Table 3. Projected College Ready Public US High School Graduates by Race

Note. Data based on data in Table 2

Action Plan—Recruitment Strategies

Diversity as an institutional directive

Florida A&M University (FAMU) is a public land-grant HBCU founded 1887 in Tallahassee, Florida. FAMU’s mission was and still is clear. FAMU is Florida’s land grant public, coeducational post-secondary institution for African Americans. In 1975, two desegregation plans, one federal and the other state, established the School of Architecture (SOA). The SOA was established to increase the number of African Americans practicing architecture in Florida and to increase the number of non-Black students at FAMU. During the nearly 40 year history of the SOA, recruitment plans and objectives were developed, implemented, and evaluated to support this directive.

Enrollment trends in the SOA revealed the majority of First Time in College (FTIC) students were Black and the majority of transfer students White. Recruitment activities to attract and enroll Black, White, and Hispanic students were implemented. FAMU organized recruitment fairs in cities in Florida and across the US to coincide with major athletic events. These college fairs predominately attracted Black high school students. Associate of Arts pre-architecture articulation agreements were developed and maintained by the SOA at select Florida community colleges with significant majority and other enrollment. As a result of these and other efforts, the SOA maintained a racially balanced student population. Racial diversity is expected and is one metric by which the SOA is continuously assessed.

The Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) identifies Florida Bright Futures Scholars. Florida Bright Futures award tuition scholarships as three levels based on grade point average and standardized test score. Table 4 shows the numbers of Bright Futures Scholars enrolled in the State University System (SUS) of Florida. Nearly 1/3 (1564 of 4760) of Black scholars in the 11-member State University System of Florida enrolled at FAMU the 2011/2012 school year.

Table 4. 2011/2012 Bright Future Scholars in the State University System of Florida

Note. Based on the State University System of Florida data, Projected Impact of Changes to Bright Futures Criteria by SUS Institution, 2013.

Targeted outreach

A college professor once stated, “To swim with the alligators, you must go where they are”. National Public Radio (NPR), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1081 African Americans age 18 and older January 10 through February 7, 2013. Nearly half (44%) of students attended schools with a majority Black enrollment, while over half (54%) reported that some, just a few or none were Black. Similarly, Verdun (2005) found that, seven out of ten minority students attend predominantly minority schools and most White students attend schools that are 80% White. Furthermore, Guthrie and Springer (2004) contended that public schools appear almost as racially segregated as before the famous Brown versus Board of Education (1954).

The number of minority college-ready public high school graduates is alarming, considering in 2010/2011 there were 7,021 postsecondary degree-granting Title IV institutions in the US (National Center of Educational Statistics, 2013) competing for the same students. As seen in Table 3, college ready 2014/2015 public high school graduates by racial group are as follows: Whites (312,910), Blacks (12,653), Hispanic (45,704), Asian/Pacific Islander (42,748), and American Indian/Alaska Native (1,623). To maintain racial diversity, the SOA implemented strategies to recruit, enroll, retain, and graduate students from different ethnic and cultural groups.

How are qualified minority students attracted? One strategy is to recruit at high schools with the desired representative student demographics. Don’t be afraid to target large, urban, inner city, or high poverty schools. A school’s poverty level may also be an indicator of the percentage of minority students enrolled. The percentages of students eligible for free or reduced priced meals provide a proxy measure for the concentration of low-income students within a school (National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), 2012). Associated Press (2010) noted that students in high poverty schools (75% or more qualify for free and reduced priced lunch) were more likely minority, large urban, and had a larger percentage of students with limited English proficiency. NCES (2010) found that greater percentages of Hispanic, Black, and American Indian/Alaska Native students attended high-poverty public elementary and secondary schools than did White or Asian/Pacific Islander students. Of all racial groups, Whites were least likely to attend high-poverty public elementary and secondary schools.

A second effective method for reaching minority students is through career fairs and/or college tours. A third method is the use of facility management summer camps to invite interested scholars. Often times middle through high school seniors are in attendance. Imprinting middle school students is an effective mechanism to bring students into a program (Career & College Clubs, 2014). For example, 50% of students who participated in the FAMU architecture summer camps enrolled.

A fourth strategy is recruitment of statewide high school scholars. These lists are populated by state’s department of education. Contacting these students about a degree and career in facility management could yield positive results, especially if knowledge of this field to high school counselors and students is still emerging. In addition to the Bright Futures Scholars, Florida has a Talented Twenty Program where the top 20% of graduates of a high school are guaranteed admission, within space and fiscal limitations to one of the 11 state universities. These students are considered a priority for the award of the Florida Student Assistant Grant (FSAG, a need-

based award). Texas has a 10 Percent Program. This innovation was in response to the Texas Hopwood case. The ten percent rule guaranteed that the top 10% of high school graduates is guaranteed admission into any Texas college or university. Researchers and supporters have heralded Texas’ Top Ten program as successful in broadening access to education (Tienda, Alon, & Niu, 2008).

A fifth method is the use of a state’s existing higher education system, more specifically community colleges. Florida has a K-20 system comprised of 11 universities and 28 community colleges. FAMU has the only degree programs in facility management in Florida. Crafting articulation agreements with select community colleges has provided a continuous feed of qualified transfer students into the FAMU SOA.

A sixth and final method is recruiting facility management majors within the university. The FAMU bachelor and master programs which combine the business and entrepreneurial skills from the School of Business and Industry with the design and technical skills of the School of Architecture (now School of Architecture and Engineering Technology) has attracted candidates who have the interest and aptitude to serve in the facility management profession. This hybrid is extremely attractive at FAMU. So recruit from within the college or university. Make sure stragglers are welcome.

Action Plan—Sealing the Deal

Engaging faculty

There may be some legitimacy in the cliché that first impressions are lasting as related to student retention. Takacs and Chamblis challenged the premise that students’ choice of major is fixed according to income potential. Jaschik (2013) recanted Takacs’ and Chamblis’ findings presented at an American Sociological Association annual meeting that students’ judgments of their chosen profession was far more based on quality of instruction than financial benefits. The research found that the role of the first faculty member was strong. “And interviews up to four years after graduation found that students remembered the professors who inspired them and those who annoyed them, and attributed their decisions on majors to those faculty members” (Jaschik, 2013, para 6). Research suggests that student attainment can be dramatically improved when a rigorous learning environment is coupled with a culturally supportive and engaging environment.

School to the workplace

It should not be surprising that in times of austerity, many students seek job security and satisfaction. Emphasizing job security as a facility management professional is extremely attractive to Blacks. Robert Woods Johnson Foundation (2013) found that nearly half (44%) of employed Blacks are very or somewhat concerned that they or someone in their household might be out of work and looking for a job in the next twelve months. Of the half (50%) of Blacks who say their finances are not so good or poor, were more likely to be concerned that they or someone in their household will be out of work in the next 12 months (58% vs. 32%). Again, IFMA has a winning message in terms of job security and competitive salaries! The Profiles 2011 Salary and Demographics Report, based on a survey of 4,353 facility professionals from 45 countries concluded the average facility professional earns an annual salary of $99,578.

Facility managers with three or less years of experience earn an annual average salary of $65,000.

Conclusion

Recruiting Blacks and other minorities into IFMA ADPs is challenging. The numbers nationally of college-ready minorities are small. To further complicate matters, Black college-ready public high school graduates in the US are projected to spiral downward beginning the 2017/2018 school year. According to the ACT, only 54% of 2012/2013 public high school graduates in the US took qualifying exams. This greatly reduces the numbers qualified to enroll in post secondary institutions. An analysis by Post Staff Report (2013) of the four subject areas of the ACT (reading, math, English and science skills) revealed that 5% of Blacks, 10% of American Indians, 14% of Hispanics, 19% of Pacific Islanders, 33% of White, and 43% of Asian-American students are college-ready. For the 2014/15 school year, this equates to 312,910 White; 45,704 Hispanic; 42,748 Asian/Pacific Islander; 12,653 Black and 1,623 American Indian/Alaska native graduating public high school seniors will be eligible for college enrollment.

Research suggests that organizations are more innovative and robust when they include a diversity of skills, perspectives, ideas, and backgrounds (US Department of Interior, 2011). Even though the number of college-ready minority students is small, enrolling and graduating these students as facility managers is of national importance (US Department of Interior). IFMA Silicon Valley chapter suggested that as diversity and exposure to facility increases so will the lives and livelihoods of the next generation of facility managers.

How will qualified minority students be attracted into IFMA ADPs? An action research design was utilized reflecting on the authors’ combined 40 years of experience in coordinating recruitment and retention efforts in the SOA to answer the research question and formulate strategies to enhance racial diversity in IFMA ADPs. One strategy is to recruit at high schools with the desired representative student demographics. A second effective method for reaching minority students is through career fairs and/or college tours. A third method is the use of summer camps to invite interested scholars. A fourth strategy is recruitment of statewide high school scholars. A fifth method is the use of a state’s existing higher education system, more specifically community colleges. A sixth and final method is recruit facility management majors within the university.

Recruiting qualified minority students into IFMA ADPs is an important step to increasing racial diversity. However, recruitment is not the only solution. Increasing graduation rates and job placement of facility management students are important as well. Engaging and culturally sensitive faculty have been found in the research to improve college retention and graduation rates. Research suggests retention improves in a collegiate environment where everyone can thrive. Finally, IFMA has a winning message in terms of job security and competitive salaries as a professional facility manager.

"Diversity is about learning from others who are not the same, about dignity and respect for all, and about creating environments and practices that maximize individual and organization performance" (Kikenny 2013, para 1). In conclusion, racial diversity must be a permanent

commitment and a successful program must balance desired outcomes with effective investments.

A shortcoming of this research was the unavailability of the racial composition of students currently enrolled in IFMA ADPs. Additional research could produce a demographic portrait of students in IFMA ADPs. Future research may evaluate how effective diversity programs in IFMA ADPs are in affecting the racial composition of the facility management profession.

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