Institutions of higher education have long represented a pathway for Americans to achieve personal and professional dreams. For many reasons such as poor pre-college preparation and unaffordability, increasing segments of the population are not attaining college degrees.
Fully two-thirds of the current US population have not completed a four-year college degree. This population is becoming increasingly diverse such that the Census Bureau envisages more than half of all Americans identifying with a minority group by 2044 and nearly one in five being foreign born by 2060. Approximately 58 percent of bachelor’s degrees are awarded to women and, of those, approximately 27 percent are awarded to other than White women.
Because of these significant demographic shifts and widening socio-economic disparities, institutions are under urgent pressure by students, society, and employers to address historical and continuing inequity in higher education and to adapt their policies and procedures to meet their needs.
The importance and educational benefits of diversity has been demonstrated. Much of the evidence was gathered on behalf of the University of Michigan in defense of affirmative action policies before the Supreme Court. Many higher education institutions include as part of their mission statement the goal of preparing students for work and civic participation in a diverse and changing world. For example, the University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Mission Statement states that it “…is an inclusive, student-focused institution. We are committed to excellence in teaching, learning, research and scholarship, as well as access, affordability and metropolitan impact.
The consideration remains how do we best create inclusive campuses, while embracing our diverse student and faculty bodies?
Previously overt policies that excluded racial minorities from many flagship state universities were largely dismantled in the 1960s beginning with the passage of the Civil Rights Act and strengthened by student, faculty, and citizen protests throughout the nation. However, equity and inclusion still remain short of fulfillment.
The glaring and overt discrimination and exclusion previously seen has been superseded by what are called microaggressions. Microaggressions negatively influence academic identities, academic achievements, career paths, and the successes of women and underrepresented students. The effects of a lack of diversity through adapting recruitment, admissions, and hiring has been described by colleges and universities. These efforts extend to transforming the curriculum and administrative structures and practices.
