Diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) and radical empathy

The myriad dynamics of campus inclusion have been a common theme in my posts for months. One post that has pulled numerous articles together charts the ramifications of the Black Lives Matter movement and its impact on higher education. Another post summarizes the emerging saga of the University of Richmond, beginning with commentary on its President's (Dr. Ron Crutcher) views on how to engage in discourse across difference. The story of the University remains deeply contentious for students and faculty.

At the core of Black Lives Matter and the University of Richmond controversy is the question of purpose. What is higher education attempting to achieve? A growing number of programs are titled and publications use the language of "diversity, equity, and inclusion," abbreviating this to DEI. The author of "Antinomies in the concepts of equity, diversity, and inclusion" differentiate the terms in ways to allow educators to be more clear about their goal. Agreeing to definitions isn't easy and the author goes on to say that, "we need to go beyond slogans and head nodding that suggests agreement when people are actually holding very different, and sometimes conflicting, ideas in their heads. Opening up those conversations, as many places have started to do, will surface some of these conflicting values. The resulting conversations will be difficult but necessary." The most critical part of moving ahead with DEI is purposeful action rather than rhetoric, which involves "disrupting and dismantling inequities."

In addition to more clearly defining the purpose of DEI programs, some assert needing to distinguish the difference between training and education. The authors write, "Given the urgency and the newfound will to reckon with past and present racial discrimination, it is unfortunate that colleges and universities have resorted to trainings. Often proven to be superficial and ineffective, diversity training should not be the default response for institutions. Instead, colleges and universities should invest in the most powerful tool of all to combat racial injustice: education," by taking  approaches such as "implicit bias" training to deeper levels by examining systemic issues and even broader diverse perspectives.

It's likely that some faculty do not fully understand the power of their voices, whether in person or in their publications. As an example, the racial terrorist who killed 10 Black citizens at a Buffalo, NY, market cited the research of a Notre Dame professor in his online racist manifesto. Notre Dame and the professor attempted to discount the relevance of an old article, yet similar ideas were published in 2021. Some scholars are driving deeper into the rhetoric of racism, focusing on the power of southern universities, and others advocate going to alumni to foster an understanding of racism and how to eliminate it in higher education settings. Pointers on teaching reimagined history provide guidance to correct the narrative of history that ignored or minimized injustice. The City University of New York (CUNY) has turned to its own faculty to examine and restructure teaching pedagogies that are more effective with diverse students. Systematically and systemically acting on research about what can be done to improve the climate for inclusion is the bottom line.

Diversity training gone wrong resulted in an EEOC complaint at Stanford by mental health professionals who were Jewish. The complainants assert that their identity was ignored in diversity training, placing them in a "white majority" category that denied their unique experience. "Critical Race Theory" had become a central point of contention between those advocating DEI and those who oppose it. The Hannah-Jones 1619 Project and counter by the Trump administration in the 1776 Commission sets up the question - will history be taught recognizing the centrality of slavery and racial discrimination in the U.S.A. or will the reified notion of the U.S.A. being a noble state and defender of all citizens be the story that is perpetuated in classrooms at all levels of education? As an example of critical theory in action, Mark Twain, whose writing may be perceived as perpetuating racism in Huckleberry Finn, challenged race as a fiction of law and custom in Pudd'nhead Wilson.

Legislation opposing the use of critical race theory has been proposed in 16 states, with Florida implementing not only a ban on DEI content but also allowing students to record and report professors if they teach material to which students object. South Dakota passed an anti-critical race theory law while Wisconsin and Florida opposed critical race theory through 'transparency' legislation. Proposed legislative action in Oklahoma would punish state institutions for teaching content related to the 1619 Project and historical evidence related to slavery. Iowa State's curricular diversity requirement was recently revised by its faculty as a counter move to avoid violating state legislation prohibiting the teaching of "divisive concepts." Other institutions such as the University of Memphis offered a stipend of $3,000 to support faculty incorporating DEI in their courses, an initiative attacked by state legislators as a "woke social justice agenda" using state funds.

Pete Ricketts, governor of Nebraska, openly criticized his state's higher education institutions for their diversity efforts, calling the initiative "discrimination against white people" and adding that "anti-racism is critical theory." Ricketts' assertions resulted in two Nebraska lawmakers calling for his resignation. In the face of a resolution to be considered by the Board of Trustees of the University of Nebraska (which was voted down), the President issued a statement defending academic freedom while the resolution prohibiting the use of critical race theory at the state level was advocated by Nebraska's governor.

The President of the University of Florida attempted to appease state politicians by directing faculty to avoid using critical race theory in instruction. It will be interesting to see how faculty and staff respond to the President's statements which are on video and include not only instruction but also some forms of diversity training. Institutions and their leadership are clearly in a tough spot when state funding is being used as extortion to comply with restrictions on teaching content. Florida's governor DeSantis is investigating expenditures in university DEI programs and has appointed anti-CRT trustees for the New College of Florida.

Virginia legislator Wren Williams' proposal to prohibit critical race theory included errors of historical record, a somewhat humorous twist on the need for teaching accurate history in schools. Alumni of Virginia Military Institute used a puppet student publication to protest critical race theory in its courses, a claim denied by VMI's leadership who said that it offers "very basic diversity training designed to help cadets understand that not everyone thinks like they do." Greater scrutiny and legislative action designed to prohibit addressing issues of diversity and inclusion in the curriculum was countered by a coalition of civil rights organizations.

Charlie Kirk, founder of the conservative student group Turning Point U.S.A., celebrated the victory of restructuring the office of equity and inclusion at Point Park University on social media. Kirk saw the reorganization as vindication of the broad conservative condemnation of diversity initiatives, although the president of Point Park issued statements indicating that the reorganization was directed at improving the University's diversity work instead of undoing it.

A movement spreading throughout higher education is professors promoting resolutions on academic freedom; a template is provided and multiple institutions are likely to see faculty moving to adopt the resolution. In the very interesting political environment of Texas, the University of Texas' Faculty Council adopted an academic freedom statement based on the template, which was immediately followed by the Lieutentant Governor's threat to eliminate tenure, which he later enacted, for all Texas public colleges and universities. The University of Texas President defended tenure, but equivocated in commenting that sometimes there are mistakes and a few faculty are unproductive. Texas A&M  Prairie View also adopted an academic freedom statement. Some see the singling out of critical race theory as equivalent to the "Red Scare" of the 1950s while others, such as Debra Humphreys of the Lumina Foundation, urged academics to stay the course. Ultimately, the urgency of the attacks on academic freedom led 93 academic groups to issue a statement saying, "All members of the campus community must be able to speak their minds freely, even if some hold opinions that others find objectionable, factually unsupportable, or abhorrent. The answer to speech with which one disagrees is more speech, not enforced silence." 

The attacks on critical race theory have demonstrated a fundamental lack of understanding of what CRT is. Begun as a legal theory utilized throughout legal education, it is nothing more than looking back at the histories that have been taught, correcting for error and political narrative, and writing/teaching a more accurate view of history. Correcting the history is essential in order to correct current social/political crises and faculty who incorporate critical theory into their teaching report favorable responses among white students. Reinforcing the importance of critical race theory in legal education, the Association of American Law Schools issued a statement condemning state attempts to ban it. Others warn of the dangers to democracy represented by the onslaught of CRT condemnations. However, opinion varies widely on how to address the U.S.'s history of slavery and racism, as demonstrated in a Brookings Institution report.

Advancing whatever perspective one might have of DEI may require at least an element of what Terri Givens refers to as radical empathy, a commitment to "not only walking in someone else's shoes but also taking actions that will, in fact, help that person and improve society." Givens says that radical empathy includes; being willing to be vulnerable, becoming grounded in who you are, opening yourself to the experiences of others, practicing empathy, taking action, and creating change and building trust. I'm convinced that knowing oneself, being open to others, and being an agent for change are primary ways forward if we are to have inclusive communities in higher education and elsewhere. And I'm also convinced that embracing radical empathy has repercussions, especially related to disrupting the present by creating change; this should be understood from the beginning.

The espoused support for DEI has justifiably been increasing. The calls may need to broaden recognition of identities beyond Black and Brown in order to increase impact. A central question of DEI work is how to address the multicultural identities of students, faculty, staff, and broader society. With many students coming to higher education at a time when they are searching for identity, colleges and universities will be on the leading edge of how identity is formulated for our broader society. Simplistic conceptions and dualities will need to be abandoned and the role of power in identity is likely to become increasingly important.

There is a lot left to learn about how to create inclusive teaching and reckoning with inequality must be addressed across a breadth of disciplinary areas. While inclusive practice may seem daunting, some educators note that even small changes can make a real difference. Part of the DEI commitment is diversifying the demographics, expanding access and increasing retention, of faculty, staff, and students. Carson Byrd, author of Behind the Diversity Numbers, encourages carefully looking at how institutions interpret the data available to them. Cases such as IUPUI, which recognizes DEI contributions in promotion and tenure summaries, are rare in the face of many faculty from marginalized groups resigning after facing resistance or worse on their campuses. Mutual support among people of color, especially women, is a key factor in retaining talent. The new requirement of a diversity contribution statement in tenure documentation at the University of Illinois could be a viable way to encourage shared responsibility in advancing DEI. Twelve female scholars in history issued a statement about inequity in citations for women and scholars of diverse backgrounds, a factor that impacts the granting of promotion and tenure.

Faculty diversity is key and many institutions claim powerlessness in the face of competition for a finite prospect pool; others advise that diversification requires more than just recruitment. The hurdles to tenure for faculty from diverse backgrounds should be carefully examined and strategies put in place to combat unconscious bias, although many would question if there is such a thing as "unconscious" marginalization of anyone. Ohio State University has turned to growing its own faculty of more diverse scholars through the implementation of fellowships that include cohort support. Budget constraints resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have also resulted in some colleges and universities making cuts to staffing that is likely to undermine the progress that is being made.

Unfortunately, personnel cuts are sometimes of faculty/staff from diverse backgrounds and sometimes directly in the organization units charged with advancing DEI outcomes. In contrast to this negative possibility, some colleges are adding staff to focus specifically on Black and Latino male students. These new positions, which advocates hope will become increasingly common through higher education, focus on what information and coaching first-generation and minoritized students lack as well as provide the resources to help them succeed. Derrick Perkins, who is Director of the Center for Male Engagement and the Community College of Philadelphia, says, "I tell people all the time, in my particular role, I'm the director, I'm a father figure, I'm a mentor, I'm a big brother, I'm a probation officer, I'm an Uber driver, I'm a counselor, an advisor."

The bottom line is that DEI has to move from rhetoric to institutional change and some evidence indicates that students have begun to recognize the changing demographics of their campuses. Striving for substantive change requires strategic leadership from presidents and, perhaps most critically, engaging broad constituencies including the campus, executives, and the board. Engaging the broader public in ways that antagonize can have very negative outcomes, as the former President of Lyon College (Arkansas) can confirm after he resigned following remarks published in the Chronicle of Higher Education. If DEI efforts are to be successful, educators' call for systemic change and a mindset shift from zero-sum assumptions to acknowledge the necessary tradeoffs will be required. Substantive change will likely require modification of merit and metrics of excellence, modification of tenure and promotion processes, and even the incorporation of DEI in accreditation.