Thought Leaders Report 2022: From Thin Words to Thick Action: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion [PDF]

Not so long ago, diversity and inclusion were not goals for most college and university campuses. For most of the history of higher education in the United States and Canada, colleges and universities focused on instructing white, cisgender, middle-and upper-class men in their late teens and early 20s. Exceptions existed, primarily in the form of women’s institutions and historically black colleges and universities, and roughly two-thirds of institutions were coeducational by 1935. However, it wasn’t until the Civil Rights and Women’s Rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s that thinking began to shift toward diversity as a value.

What we understand now is that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are rooted in the deepest-held values of higher education: excellence, integrity, respect, responsibility, and community. Yes, DEI benefits the institution by increasing innovation, boosting productivity, and preparing students for a global economy. A classroom of students from diverse backgrounds with a variety of life experiences is an electric environment, snapping with energy and ideas. But DEI isn’t a priority because someone ran a cost-benefit analysis and diversity came out with a higher ROI. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion because it is the right thing to do.