Framing Diversity for Multiple Stakeholders

To broaden stakeholder buy-in and break through the diversity paradox (those who are sensitized to the issue come to training while those who are not, don’t), faculty development around diversity issues needs to be framed in multiple ways. We present a case study of a mid-size New England private comprehensive university that has a troubled history and still struggles to convey the importance of diversity issues to the entire faculty community. Framing the conversation financially, pedagogically, and ethically helped the Faculty Diversity Committee secure from the Provost two hours of the single day of the year all faculty are required to gather; inviting a (white male) science faculty from a comparable university to discuss his quantitative data broadened the appeal to disciplines outside the humanities and social sciences; presenting current theories of diversity flashpoints along with current retention statistics showed the human and statistical costs to the institution; and, most importantly, working with vignettes from currently enrolled students gave all faculty members an awareness of the harm of even unintentional insensitivity in their own classrooms. Among the most significant findings in the vignette data was the impact of faculty insensitivity on student bystanders, indicating that flashpoints affect the entire classroom and therefore institutional dynamics. Over 200 positive faculty evaluations encouraged us to create an ongoing resource site through which we can measure new allies. Session Activity: Participants will work with a sample student vignette, looking at it from different stakeholder perspectives, including administrators, faculty, and students—both victims and witnesses. Session Outcome: Participants will be able to articulate appropriate framing mechanisms for multiple stakeholders in order to argue effectively for significant and broad-based dedication of resources