The Challenges, Rewards, and Opportunities Encountered by Early Career Faculty at Minority Serving Institutions

This study explores the experiences of early-career, tenure-track faculty at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), focusing on the structural challenges, professional rewards, and institutional opportunities that shape their academic trajectories. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 80 faculty members, the study uncovers persistent barriers such as limited institutional support, high service loads, unclear tenure expectations, and experiences of microaggressions and cultural taxation. These challenges are contextualized through the lenses of Critical Race Theory and Resilience Theory, which illuminate the systemic nature of racialized faculty labor and the strategies used by MSI faculty to persist and thrive. Despite these obstacles, participants reported deep satisfaction working with underserved student populations, engaging in culturally responsive teaching, and building community within their institutions. Findings highlight the critical role MSIs play in fostering equity in higher education and underscore the need for targeted institutional policies that affirm and support early-career faculty.