Moving beyond access: Institutionalizing best practices for the inclusion of underrepresented faculty and administrators

This dissertation is a single site case study of inclusion practices at Global University,* a large private research institution. The study examined best practices for creating inclusive campus cultures and focused specifically on how these practices can be institutionalized. Changing demographics in this country will soon require traditionally white institutions (TWIs) to successfully incorporate underrepresented (African American, Latino American, Native American) faculty and administrators to maintain academic excellence and their desired market position. It is also an imperative for educating students prepared for life and work in a global society. Most (TWIs) have focused their resources on supporting recruitment efforts, but have not achieved a critical mass of these groups. Scant attention has been paid to the issue of how to create and sustain campus cultures that are genuinely welcoming and inclusive of new diverse hires. Few, if any, proactive initiatives are in place to assist faculty and administrators in becoming full participants in the educational environment. A review of the literatures on faculty diversity and organizational change revealed a multitude of problems encountered by underrepresented scholars and administrators as well as rich strategies, guiding principles and concrete ideas for how inclusive environments can be created. This study addresses the questions of which inclusion strategies are best suited for successful implementation at Global University and what particular mechanisms are required to ensure institutionalization. The author finds that numerous barriers to inclusion such as inadequate mentoring, excessive committee work and various manifestations of racism persist at Global University. Creating and institutionalizing a more inclusive culture requires a commitment to delineating well-defined goals. Concrete plans and accountability mechanisms are essential for successful implementation. Leadership at the institution will find the integration of diversity principles identified by the University of Maryland, College Park to be an essential tool for strengthening inclusion strategies. Other campuses that aspire to become models of diversity can also use the lessons from this study to inform their own individualized inclusion initiatives. *A pseudonym