The Diversity Imperative for Academic Excellence

by Dr. Daryl G. Smith

Senior Research Fellow & Professor Emerita, Claremont Graduate University

In this Institute prologue produced by the Ivy+ Faculty Advancement Network, Dr. Daryl G. Smith invites you to respond to the central tenet of her bestselling book, Diversity's Promise for Higher Education: that academic excellence suffers when diversity is treated as just another initiative, rather than as an imperative. But how can you tell if diversity is an imperative at your university? Smith offers her suggestions and ultimately, a case for fundamentally redefining and reframing the diversity paradigm for ensuring academic excellence.

Discourse Guide

Group discussion prompts to follow the video:

Quick poll A: How is the “imperative” for advancing faculty diversity treated in your department (or other unit)?

• There’s too much else going on to make it a priority.

• It’s spoken about a lot, but doesn’t drive decision making.

• It’s as important as other initiatives.

• It manifests everything we do.

• I’m unsure.

Quick poll B: What best describes the progress being made on faculty diversity in your department (or other unit)?

• Going backwards

• No progress

• Fragile progress

• Good progress

• Significant progress

• I/We are unsure

For 15-20 minutes, discuss in groups of 3 or 4:

1. How is the work on advancing faculty diversity currently framed in your department (or other unit)?

2. Is it understood as a strategic imperative, tied to mission or academic excellence? Or is it a parallel goal alongside other goals?

3. How does the framing align with your sense of progress on faculty diversity?

All together:

So now we know where everyone is with respect to this idea of diversity as an imperative… Are there questions emerging from the video? And in light of what’s happening on your campus, what concerns are you bringing to this session?

Draft the unresolved questions in an email to your DEI staff, dean’s office, and/or senior diversity officer. Invite them to join your next department/unit meeting for a discussion.

Discuss (or better yet, share) what data your department’s/unit has with respect to:

• graduate students (e.g., graduation rates/time to degree disaggregated by race)

• recent experience with faculty hiring and retention, and/or data about faculty turnover?

Are these data regular or readily-available sources of information? If so, how and how often are they presented? If not, what’s getting in the way? How is progress being monitored on these identities and others? Is it monitored as closely as your budget?

Draft your unresolved questions or “data asks” in an email to your institutional research officers and/or DEI staff. Invite them to join your next department/unit meeting—or a meeting of the admissions committee or a search committee—to discuss your inquiries.