Shared equity leadership can help dismantle the systems that perpetuate inequities by drawing upon the strengths of a range of campus stakeholders rather than the perspective of a single leader.

With vaccines now available and campuses preparing for a return to “normal,” higher education leaders must ask what we have learned about our institutions’ capacity for change and how we will incorporate that learning into a post-COVID future, not just in terms of teaching and learning but also in considering equity and inclusion.

Research shows that students are more likely to persist and complete when they see themselves reflected in faculty, staff, and leadership on campus. How can we ensure that diversity in leadership extends to LGBTQ+ professionals, particularly at community colleges?

With Pell Grant access restored, we can now move forward with more postsecondary programs in prison, which are an evidence-based way to shatter many of the inequities and obstacles associated with reentry that people with low-incomes and communities of color face—the very communities that colleges and universities are strive to serve better.

Collaboration between two-year sending and four-year receiving institutions is key to improving community college student transfer and graduation rates. The Central Florida Educational Ecosystem Database and Houston Guided Pathway to Success are two innovative models for achieving this goal.

As the pandemic continues exacerbating the effects of structural barriers that communities of color face in our country, now is the time to commit to diversity, equity, and inclusion work and make a true difference in the lives of our students and campus communities. Auburn’s Taffye Benson Clayton writes about the work of ACE’s community of practice on DEI.