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Minority Business School Professors Having an Overwhelming Impact on Employment and Internship Decisions of Minority and Non-Minority Students, Surveys Reveal

Posted on: Tuesday, 3 April 2007, 09:00 CDT

MONTVALE, N.J., April 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A survey of undergraduate and graduate students at U.S. colleges and universities reveals that minority professors are having an astonishing impact on the career decisions of both minority and non-minority students. When asked, 83% of respondents said minority professors are positively impacting minority students' employment or internship decisions. Almost 70% of respondents believe that they are impacting non-minority students' employment or internship decisions, as well.

The survey was conducted by the Bernard Hodes Group on behalf of The PhD Project, a multi-million dollar corporate and academic-led effort to increase minority representation among business professors. Since The PhD Project was founded in 1994, the number of minority professors at U.S. business schools has nearly tripled, from 294 to 842 minority business professors. Further, 384 minorities are currently enrolled in doctoral programs, and will take a place at the front of the classroom in the next few years.

The PhD Project surveyed undergraduate and graduate students taking classes from minority professors and/or minority doctoral students to gauge the impact those instructors are having on minority and non-minority students' education.

"The PhD Project's goal is to diversify the front of the classroom as a means to better prepare students for a diverse work environment," says Bernard J. Milano, President of The PhD Project. "It is reassuring to know students feel minority professors and doctoral students are impacting positively on their career decisions and education. We are succeeding in our mission."

Other results from the student survey include: -- 76% of ALL respondents feel that students will be better prepared to work in a diverse business environment as a result of their having had a minority professor. -- 92% of ALL respondents believe that minority professors are positively impacting the education of minority students -- 87% of ALL respondents believe minority professors are positively impacting the education of non-minority students.

The 679 respondents to the student survey are currently enrolled in at least one course taught by a minority professor or doctoral student (African- American, Hispanic-American or Native American). Among the respondents, 44% are Caucasian, 32% are African-American, 10% are Hispanic or Latino with the remaining 14% consisting of Asian-Americans, Native Americans or "other".

Some of America's top companies and academic organizations support The PhD Project. They are: KPMG Foundation, Graduate Management Admission Council, 179

Participating Universities, Citigroup Foundation, AACSB International, AICPA, Robert K. Elliott, Goldman, Sachs & Co., Hewlett-Packard Company, The Merck Company Foundation, DiversityInc.

For a copy of the full survey reports, or to learn more about The PhD Project, please visit: http://www.phdproject.com/.

Contact: Ned Steele 646-234-5070, or 212-590-2313

The PhD Project

CONTACT: Ned Steele for the PhD Project, +1-646-234-5070, or+1-212-590-2313

Web site: http://www.phdproject.com/

Source: PRNewswire-USNewswire

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