An evaluation of diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education

From the 1960s to the present day, there has been a steady increase in racial minorities on
college campuses. The growth is undoubtedly due to the nation’s increased diversity. The United
States is more diverse than it has ever been before; this trend will continue, and most Americans
will be people of color by 2050. Institutions have created various diversity, equity, and inclusion
(DEI) initiatives in response to the increased diversity on college campuses and the continued
social injustices that plague our nation. However, diversity initiatives are not new to higher
education. Over the past 60 years, PWIs have created diversity initiatives in response to ensuing
federal legislation, student protests, and the influx of Black and underserved students entering
PWIs. Previous diversity initiatives included safe havens, multicultural centers, hiring Chief
Diversity Officers, and initiatives that stemmed from the Completion Agenda.
DEI initiatives are essential, yet institutions’ initiatives must be sincere and not simply
language appeasement if they want to ensure that their efforts lead to student success. To expand
the limited research on the effectiveness of DEI initiatives, the researcher utilized a mixedmethods approach to examine the most commonly used DEI best practices and how these
initiatives, strategies, and plans have been evaluated and measured. The results of the study
reveal that higher education has made progress toward creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive
campuses. Findings indicate that using data to measure DEI progress was a common and
effective way to measure the progress of DEI goals. Yet, despite widespread efforts, only a few
institutions have achieved their diversity goals.