Sharon Fries-Britt, Ph.D.
Professor of Higher Education, University of Maryland
INQUIRY #5: Leading Culture Change Toward Equity
Efforts to address educational inequalities and improve the culture in postsecondary education have escalated since the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racial unrest of 2020. While there is no singular pathway for leading culture change, advancing equity can add additional layers of complexity to consider in a change process. What we do know is that advancing equity is a process that is intentional, data driven, and requires significant attention to building trust and democratic processes that lead to real change.
Culture change requires a commitment to shared leadership practices working collaboratively to identify problems and solutions. Those leaders who can effectively communicate and lead authentically throughout the process are likely to experience greater success and satisfaction. Academic departments represent a critical space of engagement on campus between faculty, staff, and students. The increasing diversity of the student body and faculty offer opportunities to learn effective strategies for research, teaching, mentoring, and working collaboratively as a community to address areas needing change. Focusing on advancing equity at the department and program level has the potential to be a game changer in the academy.
This inquiry will help to establish the foundation for participants' initial discussion and identification of a policy, program, or issue they wish to focus on for their change projects. The prompts represent a way to start the thinking process as well as the readings which offer important information about advancing equity and identifying strategies that are responsive to their needs. The workshop draws upon all that participants have learned and shared in the prior inquiry sessions.
INQUIRY ACTIVITIES
Watch Prof. Fries-Britt's video prologue to this Inquiry on leading culture change toward equity (21m 59s) and write down your answers to the five questions with which she concludes.
Read the preamble and introduction of Getting Started With Equity: A Guide for Academic Department Leaders.
Skim Equity and Inclusion: Effective Practices and Responsive Strategies, a report with excellent annotated references and examples of DEI plans and strategies.
INQUIRY RESOURCES:
Gable. T., Holiday, T., O’Sullivan, P., & Sims, J.J. (2021 June 1). Getting Started With Equity: A Guide for Academic Department Leaders. Every Learner Everywhere.
Zambrana, R. E., Allen, A., Higginbotham, E., Mitchell, J., Pérez Simmons, D. J., & Villarruel, A. (2019). Equity and Inclusion: Effective Practices and Responsive Strategies. A Guidebook for College and University Leaders.
Kezar, A.; Holcombe, E.; Vigil, D.; & Dizon, J. P. M. (2021). Shared Equity Leadership: Making Equity Everyone's Work. Washington, DC: American Council on Education; Los Angeles: University of Southern California, Pullias Center for Higher Education.
Fries-Britt, S., Kezar, A., Wheaton, M. M., McGuire, D., Kurban, E., & Dizon, J. P. M. (2020). Leading After a Racial Crisis: Weaving a Campus Tapestry of Diversity and Inclusion. Washington, DC: American Council on Education.
Every Learner Everywhere Discipline Briefs for Equity:
Biology. Swanson, H.J. (2021, June 1)
Mathematics. Hobson, N. (2021, June 1)
Psychology. Gallor, S.M. (2021, June 1)
Chemistry. White, K.N. (2021, June 1)