Understanding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Education
Exploring the importance of DEI in higher education, this content delves into US demographic trends, definitions of diversity, equity issues such as student loan debt and educational attainment, and the central idea of pursuing DEI to enhance institutional improvement in line with the mission.
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Taking the First Steps On Your DEI Journey Dr. Andrew Sears City Vision University DEAC Webinar Slides Available at: https://www.cityvisioninstitute.org/dei-webinar-for-deac/
Reasons Why DEI Is Important The US is becoming increasingly diverse This is leading to increasing pressures to prioritize DEI in higher education Demographics of distance learning are becoming increasingly diverse Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) new standard for accreditors on DEI Central Idea: Pursuing DEI adds more sets of tools and data to enable your institution to continuously improve in line with your mission
Simplified Definitions of DEI Diversity Demographics of students, faculty & staff Diversity is characteristics that makes each person unique Equity Fairness to diverse groups Most institutional focus and public scrutiny is on differences in Educational Attainment Student debt Inclusion Accessibility of institutions programs to diverse groups Support and belongingness of diverse groups
Diversity: Demographics of Online Education By Race & Ethnic Origin US Adults 76% 14% 6% 1.3% 0.3% 3% 20% 20% 19% 20% Hispanic origin Source: https://www.educationdynamics.com/online-college-students-report-2022/ And https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045221
Equity: Bachelors Degree Attainment by Income Quartile Source: http://pellinstitute.org/downloads/publications-Indicators_of_Higher_Education_Equity_in_the_US_2020_Historical_Trend_Report.pdf
Equity: Student Loan Debt by Race & Gender Source: https://www.investopedia.com/student-loan-debt-by-race-5193137
CHEA Standard A recognized accrediting organization demonstrates that it: 3.A. manifests a commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion See CHEA Webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV7j8YeCwbU DEAC must provide evidence that it meets that standard Some accreditors are including DEI in their standards See: https://www.insightintodiversity.com/dei-in-accreditation/ Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) See CHEA Webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pavf1Vb6OhU
Example Data Collection & Analysis for DEI What you don t measure, you can t improve. - Peter Drucker Diversity Collect demographics of students Equity Track success rates of students across demographic factors Track demographics of financial aid Inclusion Track student satisfaction questions across demographics Track demographics of faculty and staff
Zoom Surveys Does your institution currently track and report demographic data to IPEDS? Yes No Does your institution track success rates for all students by demographic categories? Yes, by IPEDS categories Yes, by other categories No
DEI as a Part of Continuous Improvement Evaluation Process 1. Mission 2. Strategic & Assessment Plan 4. Use of Results 3. Data Collection & Analysis
Mission and DEI Based on your institution s unique mission, what might be its unique approach and priorities regarding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion? 1. Mission
CVU Case Study: Mission Our Mission is to use online education to transform lives through Jesus, Justice and Technology. Values: Justice Focus on the Poor and Addicted Radically Affordable Education Practical Education Student-Centered Our Vision: We are reinventing Christian higher education to make it radically affordable and relevant to the needs of those serving the poor and addicted. 1. Mission
Example Elements for a DEI Plan We will track the following data as a part of our efforts toward continuous improvement & DEI IPEDS demographics, financial aid, veteran status We will conduct student success analysis across demographics for: GPA, Graduation Rate, Annual Retention, Student Satisfaction 1. Mission 2. Plan
IPEDS & DEAC Data Collection & Analysis IPEDS Data Race, ethnicity, gender for students, staff and faculty Pell status and scholarship status IPEDS Success Indicators: Enrollment data, Graduation While IPEDS demographic data provides an excellent starting point, their focus on first-time full-time students is severely limited for nontraditional educational institutions Reporting Requirements to DEAC and State Regulators Enrollment Success rates: graduation rates, job placement rates Student satisfaction questions 1. Mission 2. Plan 3. Data Collection
Recommendation to simplify DEI tracking & analysis At minimum, use IPEDS categories to internally track and analyze student success factors IPEDS Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Age, etc. Also analyze data reported to DEAC by key demographic factors Graduation rates, satisfaction rates Identify additional student characteristics uniquely important to your institution to track Find someone in your organization who is either good with databases or pivot tables to help with analysis
Use of Results: Evaluation & Analysis What are the differences in success rate for students across demographics and other student characteristics? Do you have adequate staff and faculty that is culturally close to your student population to be able to meet their needs? 1. Mission 2. Plan 3. Data Collection 4. Use of Results
City Visions Student Success Analysis by Race Action Items in Plan Develop mentoring program for minority students Prioritize hiring of faculty with cultural fluency with minority students 1. Mission 2. Plan 3. Data Collection 4. Use of Results
City Visions Student Success Analysis by Financial Aid Action Items in Plan Stopped participating in federal student loan program Develop program for intensive support for high-risk students 1. Mission 2. Plan 3. Data Collection 4. Use of Results
City Visions Student Success Analysis by Gender Action Items in Plan None 1. Mission 2. Plan 3. Data Collection 4. Use of Results
City Visions Student Success Analysis by Discount Status Action Items in Plan Discontinued discount program focusing on interns because of poor incentive alignment 1. Mission 2. Plan 3. Data Collection 4. Use of Results
Common Elements in a University DEI Strategy Extensive data tracking and analysis to improve equity in student achievement Action items in plan related to DEI DEI Statement and webpage Review of policies and procedures Hiring, Training, Title IX, ADA, etc Larger schools often have Staff focused on DEI Training resources focused on DEI for students, faculty & staff
Strengths of DEAC in DEI DEAC institutions Serve a higher percentage of ethnic and racial minorities relative to the average higher education institution Have a very high representation of working-class students that are under- represented in traditional higher education Are more affordable on average than many of their private for-profit and nonprofit counterparts DEAC is arguably the most institutionally diverse accreditor Extreme diversity of the types of institutions accredited based on mission, demographics, political ideology, etc. Distance education is uniquely effective in expanding access to under- represented groups
Other Topics to Explore Individual Growth in DEI Leadership, Cultural Intelligence and Fluency Organizational Growth in DEI Strategies for improving DEI among staff and faculty Change management for implementing DEI strategies Training strategies Google DEI Topics from Management Consulting Companies Societal Issues in DEI Specific Issues to Race, Class, Gender, etc. Social priorities in US Higher Education
Additional Resources CHEA Webinars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV7j8YeCwbU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pavf1Vb6OhU School DEI Websites, Statements, Programs, etc. Google Diversity Equity Inclusion [school name] Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) https://nwccu.org/equity-resource-library/ City Vision Resources on DEI https://www.cityvisioninstitute.org/workshops/
