Beyond Mentorship: A Delphi Study of Strategies for Retaining BIPOC Faculty in Counselor Education

Abstract

ABSTRACT As counselor education sees a rapid increase in representation of BIPOC faculty members, intentional efforts are needed to retain these faculty members. This study utilized the Delphi method to engage an expert panel ( n = 20) of BIPOC counselor educators who have been promoted at least once and academic leaders in counselor education who have successfully retained BIPOC faculty members. After three rounds of data collection, the panel reached consensus on 66 retention strategies across nine categories: mentorship, community, department culture, administrative support, financial support, professional development, BIPOC wellness, individual perseverance, and policy. Implications for supporting and retaining BIPOC faculty members in counselor education in the current sociopolitical climate are explored.