Comfort over Change: a Case Study of Diversity and Inclusivity Efforts in U.S. Higher Education

• Published in: Innovative higher education 2021-08, Vol.46 (4), p.445-460
• Main Authors: Gonzales, Leslie D., Hall, Kayon, Benton, Amber, Kanhai, Dana, Núñez, Anne-Marie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Case studies; Conversation; Diversity (Institutional); Education; Educational Change; Facilitators (Individuals); Higher Education; Inclusion; Meetings; Minority Groups; Racial Bias; Racism; Science and technology; Stakeholders; STEM Education; Whites
• ISSN: 0742-5627; 1573-1758
• DOI: 10.1007/s10755-020-09541-7

Efforts to diversify and make historically white organizations more inclusive are as varied as they are numerous. Yet, for all their ubiquity in U.S. higher education, few studies have examined them in real time. This case study thus features a two-day meeting where stakeholders were invited to consider how to make science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields not only more diverse but also inclusive. Drawing on observational, documentary, and interview data, we offer three findings. First, we share how facilitators were ill-prepared to define diversity for their project. Second, we share that facilitators and most white participants hesitated and sometimes directly avoided conversations about historical and contemporary exclusion in STEM, especially regarding racism. Third, we show that, while facilitators and most white participants avoided specific conversations about the exclusionary nature of STEM spaces, racially minoritized participants repeatedly requested more concrete conversations. We conclude the paper with several implications for future research and practice for administrators, professors, DEI practitioners, and funders.