Diversity Is Not Enough. Inclusion Is the Key.

March 17, 2017

Share this

 By Gailda Pitre Davis


Often we use diversity to discuss broad numbers of individuals within varying affinity groups—our campus is considered diverse if we have X number of African American students, Y number of female administrators, and so on.

However, inclusion is less about representation and more about the environment in which we operate. Inclusion, simply stated, is about a sense of belonging that one or a group of individuals feels when able to participate in the majority culture on campus as valued members. This was the focus of the ACE/National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education Joint Session at ACE2017 entitled “Campus Leaders Creating Healthy Campus Climates.” How do we create environments where all students, faculty, and administrators feel welcomed and included at our institutions?

Here are a six critical points from the discussion.

  • Use your voice. Use your platform as a leader to advance inclusion and diversity every chance you get. Speak up for those who may not have a seat at the table and use your voice to represent those who might otherwise be forgotten in critical conversations.
  • Model inclusive leadership. Exercise empathy and authenticity with everyone at your institution, operating from a space to understand varying perspectives and establish trust.
  • Communicate, communicate, communicate. When there is an incident that might negatively impact your inclusion efforts, your campus is watching and waiting for a response. As panelist Kim Schatzel, president of Towson University (MD) stated, there are times when “silence is NOT golden, I assure you.”
  • Create spaces for open dialogue and discussion, but remember that sometimes leaders just need to listen. Focus on understanding and determining solutions, not on defending the institution or your own actions. This creates a framework for sustained dialogue and sets the foundation for students to become, as one panelists termed, scholar-activists.
  • Support faculty and administrators in understanding their role in creating an inclusive environment and how best to engage in difficult dialogues with students. Consider the types of teaching that may be needed for faculty and administrators to be comfortable in approaching challenging topics associated with inclusion, and seek opportunities to provide this.
  • Meet students where they are. We have to keep in mind that as human beings we are all growing and developing. Knowing this requires us to sometimes slow down and see things from other perspectives before we can determine how best to help our students grow or address challenging situations.

Although not an exhaustive list, these tips can help campus leaders establish visible, ongoing and sustained efforts towards creating inclusive environments. We must not just be reactive, responding when an incident occurs, but we have to be proactive in our work to truly create healthy campus climates for everyone.


ace2017-nahohe
Kim Schatzel, president, Towson University (MD); Elizabeth Ortiz, vice president, DePaul University (IL); Kathy Johnson, executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer and professor of psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis; Marilyn Sanders Mobley, vice president for inclusion, diversity and equal opportunity, Case Western Reserve University (OH); Denise B. Maybank, vice president for student affairs and services, Michigan State University.

 


If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please contact us.

Keep Reading

Crossing Borders: Helping Colleges and Universities Jumpstart the Conversation on Diversity and Inclusion

A major challenge confronting U.S. colleges and universities today is the need to disentangle the complexities of diversity, social justice and free speech. We talked to Crossing Borders Education founder Arnd Wächter about his organization and its work promoting dialogue as a way to build diversity and inclusion.

March 22, 2017
Students sitting outside on the lawn in front of a red-brick campus building.

Teaching for Social Solidarity: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in a Time of COVID-19

Teaching during the pandemic is demonstrating that the challenges from COVID-19 go beyond the drastic health and economic consequences we are confronting—they are also social. The primary lesson is simple: in a time of physical distancing, social solidarity is more important than ever.

June 10, 2020
Boston College student

Refocusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion During the Pandemic and Beyond: Lessons from a Community of Practice

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.

January 13, 2021