NADOHE: Building a Global and Inclusive Campus Climate

Bryant O. Best, a graduate research associate in ACE’s Center for Policy Research and Strategy, reports on a session exploring the potential for building a strong campus culture that is both inclusive and global.

ACE and the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) held a joint session at the Council’s 97th Annual Meeting on “Building a Global and Inclusive Campus Climate.”

The panel, moderated by Benjamin Reese Jr., included Harvey Charles, Tori Haring-Smith, Joanne Woodard, and Timothy Hall.

The conversation ranged from questions such as “Why is diversity on college campuses important?” to “How does an institution develop a metrics system that accurately measures complicated outcomes such as inclusivity and global connectedness?”

In the end, three important themes emerged:

1. In order to achieve an inclusive campus atmosphere, diversity must be embedded into the operational efforts and goals of the institution. Faculty and students alike should be aware of these efforts and see them as playing an integral role in shaping the campus culture.
2. Programs that prepare students to be competitive in the international job market, such as ACE’s “At Home in the World,” are vital to college and university globalization efforts.
3. Institutions must give faculty an opportunity to lead by example, either by (a) rewarding them with grant money in exchange for redesigning courses to focus more on diversity and globalization, or (b) using their own travel and research experiences to encourage students to study abroad.

The panel stressed that higher education leaders must be willing to collaborate to come up with substantive, long-term solutions to issues of inclusion.

Today’s students have different backgrounds and needs and are entering different labor markets than those of the past. It is imperative that institutions acknowledge this and respond accordingly.