Author: Laurie Arnston

Institutional commitment to diversity should expand beyond increasing the enrollment of underrepresented students and students of color to creating inclusive campuses. Stephanie Sanders, lecturer and diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, shares strategies on how to she has worked to create inclusive spaces, particularly for students of color, at a predominantly white institution.

Conversations around campus diversity often focus on undergraduate students. Karen DePauw, vice president and dean for graduate education at Virginia Tech, discusses the strategies Virginia Tech has implemented to create diversity and inclusion at the graduate student level, and how these efforts have led to a stronger campus community.

Building diverse and inclusive colleges and universities requires a campus-wide commitment and effort. Maria Madison, associate dean for equity, inclusion and diversity at Brandeis University’s Heller School suggests using evidence-based knowledge and best practices to evaluate how structures at predominantly white institutions may inhibit diversity and inclusion.

As more universities institutionalize efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion, Joana Dos Santos, chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, explores the backgrounds, experiences, and skills that are most beneficial for academic diversity officers and the need for standards across the board.