A model minority faculty fellowship program: Enhancing minority faculty in health professions and reducing inequity in health services

Northern Arizona University (NAU), College of Health and Human Services model Minority Faculty Fellowship Program (MFFP) supports a minority faculty member and strengthens the College without adding to the workload or placing additional strain on an already limited budget. In 2003, the College was awarded a MFFP through the U.S. Department of Health, Health Resources and Services Administration. The College received a second Fellowship in 2008, the only one funded in the country. This three-year Fellowship is aimed at providing minority individuals with the training and skills necessary to flourish in a tenure-track position. There is a shortage of minority faculty in the health professions. Northern Arizona University and the surrounding communities have diverse populations nonetheless, only a very small percentage of faculty at the University are from diverse backgrounds. Success of the NAU, MFFP is largely due to our ability to draw upon existing structures including the University mission and institutional commitment to serving Native Americans, as well as the promotion and tenure process, faculty support programs, and a long-term relationship with the John and Sophie Ottens Foundation. The progress of the current NAU fellowship can also be attributed to the first Fellow's engagement with her contemporary.